^' 


I 


^iir: 


LIBRARY 

op  THE 

Theological   Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


BV    4205     .P6    1829 

Porter,  Ebenezer,  1772-1834 

The  young  preacher's  manual 


/^ 


THE 


YOUNG  PREACHER'S  MANUAL, 


OR    A  COLLECTION  OF 


TREATISES  ON  PREACHING 


COMPRISING 


FENELON's    DIALOGUES    ON    THE    ELO- 

quence  of  the  pulpit. 
Claude's  essay    on    the    composi- 
tion   OF    A    SERMON,    ABRIDGED. 


gregory  on  the    composition  and 

delivery  of  a  sermon. 
revbaz  on  the  art  of  preaching. 
Baxter's  reformed  pastor. 


WITH  A  lilST  OF  BOOKS. 


SELECTED    AND,  REVISED 


i^ 


/ 


By  EBENEZER  PORTER,  d.  d. 

president    of    THE    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY,    ANDOVER. 


SECOND    EDITION. 


NE-W  YORK  : 

PUBLISHED    BY   JONATHAN    LEAVITT,    182,  BROADWAY 
CROCKER   AND     BREWSTER,  BOSTON  ; 
M.    NEWMAN,    ANDOVER. 


PLAOG    AND    GOULD PRINTERS. 

1829. 


DISTRICT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  to  wit : 

District  Clcrk^s  Office. 
Be  it  remembered,  that  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  April,  A.  D.  18';9,  in  the  fifty  third 
year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  Flagg  and  Gould,  of  the  said  district, 
have  deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  the  right  whereof  they  claim  as  proprietors, 
in  the  words  following,  to  wit ; — "The  Young  Preacher's  Manual,  or  a  collection  of  Treatises  on 
Preaching  ;  comprising  Fenelon's  Dialogues  on  the  Eloquence  of  the  Pulpit,  Claude's  Essay  on  the 
Corapositi.n  and  Delivery  of  a  Sermon,  abridged,  Gregory  on  the  Composition  and  Delivery  of  a 
Sermon,  Reybaz  on  the  Art  of  Preaching,  Baxter's  Reformed  Pastor.  With  a  list  of  Books.  Se- 
lected and  revised  by  Ebenezer  Porter,  D.  D.  President  of  the  Theological  Seminary,  Ando- 
ver.  Second  edition." — In  conl'ormity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  enti- 
tled, "An  Act  for  the  encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and 
books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned  :"  and 
also  to  an  Act  entitled,  "  An  act  supplementary  to  an  Act,  entitled,  An  Act  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors 
of  such  copies  during  the  times  therein  mentioned  ;  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts 
of  designing,  engraving  and  etching  historical  and  other  prints." 

JOHN  W.  DAVIS,  !  ^'Z^  "f  ''^  District 
'  \  of  jylassacnusetts. 


PREFACE 


TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


As  a  second  edition  of  this  Compilation  is  called  for,  it  is  pro- 
per to  apprise  the  reader  that  all  the  matter  included  in  the  former 
edition  is  retained  in  this,  except  Brown's  Address  ;  and  that  the  vol- 
ume is  much  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  Baxter's  Reformed  Pastor. 
One  reason  for  inserting  this  in  the  volume,  is  a  wish  to  draw  the 
attention  of  our  rising  ministry  to  the  writings  of  those  illustrious  co- 
temporaries  of  the  seventeenth  century,  who  were  the  burning  and 
shining  lights  of  modern  Christianity.  Another  motive  is,  that  be- 
sides the  stirring,  sanctifying  influence  which  every  minister's  heart 
must  feel  from  the  perusal  of  this  treatise,  it  may  well  be  read,  as  a 
model  in  style,  by  any  one,  who  would  acquire  that  direct,  pungent, 
powerful  address  in  the  pulpit,  which  gave  so  much  effect  to  the 
preaching  of  its  author.  And  anotlier  reason  still,  is,  that  this  work 
of  Baxter,  which  in  its  own  peculiar  characteristics  is  not  equalled 
by  any  other  production  of  an  uninspired  pen,  is  so  out  of  market, 
that  few  of  our  younger  ministers  have  had  opportunity  to  read  it. 
The  Compiler  of  this  Manual  has  for  some  time  intended  that  a 
work,  so  adapted  for  usefulness  to  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  sa- 
cred office,  or  are  preparing  for  it,  should  be  republished.  To  make 
room  for  it  in  this  volume,  without  an  inconvenient  increase  of  size 
and  price,  the  whole  has  been  thrown  into  a  smaller  type  and  a  closer 
page  than  the  former  edition. 

Should  Providence  permit,  it  is  the  Compiler's  purpose  to  extend 
this  work  by  adding  a  second  volume,  perhaps  more  than  one,  con- 
taining other  treatises  on  homiletic  theology,  and  selections  from  the 
sermons  of  a  few  ancient  Fathers,  and  other  distinguished  preachers 
of  later  periods. 

It  has  been  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  to  omit  or  retain  the  List 
of  Books  at  the  close.  To  make  one  ten  times  as  large,  would  be 
less  difficult  than  to  make  one  so  restricted  as  the  object  of  tins  re- 


IV  PREFACE. 

quires  it  to  be.  To  determine  the  relative  value  of  a  book,  compared 
with  others  of  its  class,  when  some  must  be  mentioned  and  others 
omitted,  is  often  no  easy  task  for  one  to  take  on  himself  And  if 
the  selection  is  satisfactory  to  his  own  mind,  it  is  scarcely  probable 
that  it  will  be  so  to  all  others.  The  Compiler  has  been  happy  in  this 
case  to  avail  himself  of  the  judgement  of  his  respected  Colleagues. 

Theological  Seminary, 
Andover,  April  13,  1829. 


PREFACE. 


The  work  of  the  Christian  preacher  is  doubtless  the  most  im- 
portant, that  can  be  committed  to  human  hands.  But  while  the  in- 
fluence of  the  pulpit,  upon  the  everlasting  interests  of  men,  is  gene- 
rally admitted  to  be  a  subject  of  the  highest  concern,  the  peculiar 
qualifications,  which  are  requisite  in  the  teachers  of  religion,  seem 
to  have  been  too  much  overlooked  by  writers  of  our  times.  The 
compiler  of  the  young  minister's  companion,  which  was  publish- 
ed a  few  years  ago,  performed  an  invaluable  service  for  the  church. 
The  heavy  sale  of  that  book  is  to  be  accounted  for,  only  on  the  sup- 
position that  our  rising  clergy  are  unacquainted  with  the  excellence 
of  its  contents.  But,  though  the  principal  treatises  of  that  compila- 
tion, are  perhaps  the  best  that  were  ever  written,  on  the  subjects 
which  they  discuss  ;  their  chief  design  is  to  form  the  character  of 
the  Christian  minister,  and  to  exhibit  the  principles  by  which  he 
ought  to  be  governed.  Still,  something  corresponding  with  the 
above  compilation,  in  its  general  character,  but  relating  directly  to 
the  duties  of  the  pulpit,  was  much  needed.  Some  of  the  best  trea- 
tises on  preaching  can  hardly  be  obtained  of  booksellers,  and  others 
are  to  be  found  only  in  connexion  with  expensive  works.  A  collec- 
tion of  these  treatises,  in  a  cheap  and  convenient  form,  must  be  an 
important  acquisition  to  every  theological  student.  To  furnish  such 
a  collection,  is  the  design  of  the  young  preacher's  manual. 

The  excellent  John  Newton  has  well  remarked,  that  "  a  preach- « 
er  is  not  to  be  made,  as  a  mechanic  makes  a  table  or  a  chair."  His 
heart  must  be  formed  by  divine  grace.  So  far,  however,  as  intel- 
lectual qualifications  are  concerned,  they  must  be  cultivated,  as  in 
other  human  attainments,  by  study,  and  a  practical  application  of 
the  best  rules  of  instruction.  Rules  on  preaching  cannot  make  a 
preacher  :  nor  can  Euclid's  Elements  make  a  mathematician. 
But  skill  in  any  art  or  science  presupposes  acquaintance  with  its 
elementary  principles.     Knowledge  of  the  Bible,  and  of  systematic 


VI  PUEFACE. 

Theology,  is  essential  to  the  Christian  Teacher,  but  this  is  not  suf- 
ficient. He  may  possess  this,  and  yet  not  be  qualified  to  write  or 
speak  his  own  thoughts  in  a  perspicuous  and  interesting  manner. 
"  A  man  may  be  a  good  lawyer,  and  yet  a  bad  pleader ;  so  he  may 
be  a  good  divine,  and  yet  a  very  indifferent  preacher. " 

The  Compiler  of  this  manual  hopes  that  it  may  render  some 
important  aid  to  the  student,  in  his  preparation  for  the  sacred  office. 

The  DIALOGUES  ON  ELOQUENCE  are  from  the  pen  of  Fenelon, 
in  whom  the  taste  of  a  fine  scholar  was  united  with  the  piety  of  a 
fervent  Christian.  Dr.  Doddridge  speaking  of  this  work  of  the 
Archbishop,  calls  it,  "  his  incomparable  dialogues  on  eloquence, 
which,  (he  says)  may  God  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  our  preachers  of- 
ten and  attentively  to  read." 

FoRDYCE,  in  his  ai't  of  preaching,  says  ;  "  If  you  want  to  see 
the  whole  machinery  and  apparatus  of  pulpit  eloquence  displayed, 
in  the  completest  manner,  T  refer  you  to  the  great  and  good  Prelate 
of  Cambray's  Dialogues  on  that  subject ;  who  was  himself  the 
justest  critic,  and  one  of  the  best  models  of  eloquence,  that  I  know." 
And  Dr.  Williams,  speaking  of  this  work,  says,  it  is  "  deservedly 
mentioned,  by  many  writers  of  eminence,  with  a  sort  of  respect, 
bordering  on  veneration." 

The  ESSAY  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON,  was  Written  by 
the  Rev.  John  Claude,  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  French  church. 
Robinson's  translation  of  it  is  accompanied  with  cumbersome,  and, 
to  a  o-reat  extent,  illjudged  notes,  making  two  volumes,  octavo. 
It  can  scarcely  be  obtained  in  this  country,  except  in  connexion  with 
Simeon's  Skeletons,  in  five  volumes,  a  work,  which  very  few 
ministers  can  afford,  or  would  wish  to  purchase.  It  is  here  given 
in  a  form,  which  the  compiler  thinks  preferable  to  that  of  Simeon 
or  Williams. 

In  this  Essay,  and  in  the  two  following  articles,  (though  they  are 
by  no  means  to  be  regarded  as  perfect,)  the  judicious  student  will 
find  many  valuable  thoughts  on  preaching,  and  more,  it  is  presumed 
than  can  be  found  elsewhere,  in  the  same  number  of  pages. 

It  is  only  necessary,  further  to  apprize  the  reader,  that  the  mar- 
"inal  notes,  in  Fenf-lon's  dialogues,  selected  from  other  writers,- 
o-enerally  confirming,  but  sometimes  invalidating  the  opinions  of 
that  celebrated  author,  are  designed  to  furnish  a  more  ample  view 
of  the  several  topics  discussed,  than  is  contained  in  the  original 
work. 


CONTENTS. 


Dialogues  on  the  eloquence  of  the  Pulpit,  by  M.  Fenelon  1 1 

Extract  from  a  letter  to  the  French  Academy,  by  the  same  114 

Essay  on  the  Co?nposition  of  a  Sermon,  by  the  Rev.  John 

Claude 135 


Thoughts  on  the  Composition  and  delivery  of  a  Sermon,  by 

Dr.  Gregory         233 

Letter  on  the  Art  of  Preaching,  by  M.  Reybaz     .     .     .     .  263 

Baxter'' s  Reformed  Pastor ,     .  277 


List  of  Books 405 

fndex        409 


PREFACE, 


BY  THE  CHEVALIER  RAMSAY. 

Both  the  ancients  and  the  moderns  have  treated  of  eloquence, 
with  diiferent  views,  and  in  different  ways  ;  as  logicians,  as  gram- 
marians, and  as  critics  :  but  we  still  wanted  an  author,  who  should 
handle  this  delicate  subject  as  a  philosopher,  and  a  christian  :  and 
this  the  late  Archbishop  of  Cambray  has  done  in  the  following  dia- 
logues. 

In  the  ancient  writers  we  find  many  solid  precepts  of  rhetoric, 
and  very  just  rules  laid  down  with  great  exactness :  but  they  are 
ofttimes  too  numerous,  too  dry  ;  and,  in  fine,  rather  curious  than 
useful.  Our  author  reduces  the  essential  rules  of  this  wonderful 
art,  to  these  three  points  ;  proving,  painting,  and  moving  the  pas- 
sions. 

To  qualify  his  orator  for  proving,  or  establishing  any  truth,  he 
would  have  him  a  philosopher ;  who  knows  how  to  enlighten  the 
understanding,  while  he  moves  the  passions  ;  and  to  act  at  once 
upon  all  the  powers  of  the  mind ;  not  only  by  placing  the  truth  in  so 
clear  a  light  as  to  gain  attention  and  assent ;  but  likewise  by  moving 
all  the  secret  springs  of  the  soul,  to  make  it  love  that  truth  it  is 
convinced  of.  In  one  word,  our  author  would  have  his  orator's 
mind  filled  with  bright,  useful  truths,  and  the  most  exalted  views. 

That  he  may  be  able  to  paint,  or  describe  well,  he  should  have 
a  poetic  kind  of  enthusiasm  ;  and  know  how  to  employ  beautiful 
figures,  lively  images,  and  bold  touches,  when  the  subject  requires 
them.  But  this  art  ought  to  be  entirely  concealed  :  or,  if  it  must 
appear,  it  should  seem  to  be  a  just  copy  of  nature.  Wherefore  our 
author  rejects  all  such  false  ornaments  as  serve  only  to  please  the 
ear,  with  harmonious  sounds  ;  and  the  imagination,  with  ideas  that 
are  more  gay  and  sparkling,  than  just  and  solid. 

To  move  the  passions,  he  would  have  an  orator  set  every  truth 
in  its  proper  place  ;  and  so  connect  them  that  the  first  may  make 
way  for  the  second ;  and  the  next  support  the  former  :  so  that  the 
discourse  shall  gradually  advance  in  strength  and  clearness,  till  the 


10  PREFACE. 

hearers  perceive  the  whole  weight  and  force  of  the  truth.  And 
then  he  ought  to  display  it  in  the  liveliest  images ;  and  both  in  his 
words  and  gesture  use  all  those  affecting  movements,  that  are  proper 
to  express  the  passions  he  would  excite. 

It  is  by  reading  the  ancients  that  we  must  form  our  taste,  and 
learn  the  art  of  eloquence  in  all  its  extent.  But  seeing  that  some  of 
the  ancients  themselves  have  their  defects,  we  must  read  them  with 
caution  and  judgement.  Our  learned  author  distinguishes  the  gen- 
uine beauties  of  the  purest  antiquity,  from  the  false  ornaments  used 
in  after  ages ;  he  points  out  what  is  excellent,  and  what  is  faulty,  both 
in  sacred  and  profane  authors  ;  and  shews  us  that  the  eloquence  of 
the  Holy  Scripture,  in  many  places,  surpasses  that  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans,  in  native  simplicity,  liveliness,  grandeur,  and  in  every  thing 
that  can  recommend  truth  to  our  assent  and  admiration. 


DIALOGUES 

CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 


THE  FIRST  DIALOGUE,  BETWEEN  A.  AND  B.  AND  C. 

A.  Well,  Sir,  I  suppose  you  have  been  hearing  the  sermon  to 
which  you  would  have  carried  me.  I  have  but  very  little  curiosity 
that  way,  and  am  content  with  our  parish  minister. 

B.  I  was  charmed  with  my  preacher.  You  had  a  great  loss, 
Sir,  in  not  hearing  him.  I  have  hired  a  pew,  that  I  may  not  miss 
one  of  his  Lent  sermons.  O  !  he  is  a  wonderful  man.  If  you  did 
but  once  hear  him,  you  could  never  bear  any  other. 

A.  If  it  be  so,  I  am  never  to  hear  him.  I  would  not  have  any 
one  preacher  give  me  a  distaste  of  all  others  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  should 
choose  one  that  will  give  me  such  a  relish  and  respect  for  the  word 
of  God,  as  may  dispose  me  the  more  to  hear  it  preached  every  where. 
But  since  I  have  lost  so  much  by  not  hearing  this  fine  discourse  you 
are  so  pleased  with,  you  may  make  up  part  of  that  loss,  if  you  will  be 
so  good  as  to  communicate  to  us  what  you  remember  of  it. 

B.  I  should  only  mangle  the  sermon,  by  endeavouring  to  repeat 
any  part  of  it.  There  were  a  hundred  beauties  in  it  that  one  cannot 
recollect,  and  which  none  but  the  preacher  himself  could  display. 

A.  Well :  but  let  us  at  least  know  something  of  his  design,  his 
proofs,  his  doctrine,  and  the  chief  truths  he  enlarged  on.  Do  you 
remember  nothing  ?     Were  you  inattentive  ? 

B.  Far  from  it :  I  never  listened  with  more  attention  and  pleasure. 
C  What  is  the  matter  then  ;  do  you  want  to  be  entreated  1 
B.  No ;  but  the  preacher's  thoughts  were  so  refined,  and  de- 
pended so  much  on  the  turn  and  delicacy  of  his  expressions,  that 
though  they  charmed  me  while  I  heard  them,  they  cannot  be  easily 
recollected  ;  and  though  one  could  remember  them,  if  they  be  ex- 
pressed in  other  words,  they  would  not  seem  to  be  the  same  thoughts  ; 
but  would  lose  all  their  grace  and  force. 

A.  Surely,  Sir,  these  beauties  must  be  very  fading,  if  they  van- 
ish thus  upon  the  touch,  and  will  not  bear  a  review.  I  should  be 
much  belter  pleased  with  a  discourse  which   has  more  body  in  it^ 


12  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

and  less  spirit ;  that  things  might  make  a  deeper  impression  on  the 
mind,  and  be  more  easily  remembered.  What  is  the  end  of  speaking, 
but  to  persuade  people,  and  to  instruct  thera  in  such  truths  as  they  can 
retain  ? 

C.  Now  you  have  begun,  Sir,  I  hope  you  will  go  on  with  this 
useful  subject. 

A.  I  wish  T  could  prevail  with  you,  Sir,  to  give  us  some  general 
notion  of  the  elegant  harangue  you  heard. 

B.  Since  you  are  so  very  urgent,  I  will  tell  you  what  I  can  re- 
collect of  it.  The  text  was  this  :*  '  I  have  eaten  ashes  like  bread.' 
Now  could  any  one  make  a  happier  choice  for  a  text  for  Ash- Wed- 
nesday ?  He  shewed  us  that,  according  to  this  passage,  ashes  ought  this 
day  to  be  the  food  of  our  souls  ;  then  in  his  preamble  he  ingeniously 
interwove  the  story  of  A rtemesia,  with  regard  to  her  husband's  ashes. 
Hist  transition  to  his  Ave  Maria  was  very  artful ;  and  his  division 
was  extremely  ingenious;  you  shall  judge  of  it.  1.  'Though  this 
dust,'  said  he,  '  be  a  sign  of  repentance,  it   is   a  principle  of  felicity. 

2.  Though   it    seems  to  humble   us,   it   is   really  a  source  of  glory. 

3.  And  though  it  represents  death,  it  is  a  remedy  that  gives  immor- 
tal life.'  He  turned  this  division  various  ways,  and  every  time  he 
gave  it  a  new  lustre  by  his  antitheses.  The  rest  of  his  discourse  was 
not  less  bright  and  elegant ;  the  language  was  polite  ;  the  thoughts 
new  ;  the  periods  were  harmonious  ;  and  each  of  them  concluded  with 
some  surprising  turn.  He  gave  such  just  characters  of  common  life, 
that  his  hearers  found  their  various  pictures  faithfully  drawn  :  and  his 
exact  anatomy  of  all  the  passions  equalled  the  maxims  of  the  great 
RocHEFoucAULT  ;  in  short,  I  think  it  was  a  masterpiece.  But,  Sir 
I  shall  be  glad  to  know  your  opinion  of  it. 

A.  I  am  unwilling  to  tell  you  my  thoughts,  or  to  lessen  your  es- 
teem, of  it.  We  ought  to  reverence  the  word  of  God  ;  to  improve 
ourselves  by  all  the  truths  that  a  preacher  explains  ;  and  avoid  a  criti- 
cal humour,  lest  we  should  lessen  the  authority  of  the  sacred  function. 

*  Psalm  cii.  9. 

t  The  Romish  preachers,  in  the  preamble  of  their  sermons,  addressed  them- 
selves to  the  Virgin  Mary  ;  and  are  oft  times  very  artful  in  their  transition  to 
it,  as  our  author  observes.  We  have  a  remarkable  example  of  this  in  one  of 
the  greatest  French  orators,  M.  L'Esprit  Flechier,  bishop  of  Nismes,  who 
seems  to  be  oftener  than  once  alluded  to  in  these  dialogues.  In  his  paneo-yric 
on  S.  Joseph  he  introduces  his  Ave  iVIaria  thus  : — f^very  thing  seems  to  con- 
cur to  the  glory  of  my  subject  ;  the  Holy  Spirit,  Jesus  Christ,  and  Mary,  are 
concerned  in  it ;  why  may  I  not  hope  for  the  assistance  of  one  of  them,  the 
grace  of  the  other,  and  the  intercessions  of  the  Virgin  ?  To  whom  we  will 
address  ourselves  in  those  words  that  the  angel  said  (o  her,  and  which  S.  Jo- 
seph no  doubt  often  repeated  ;  Hail!  Mary,  &:c.    Panegyriqnes,  Vol.  I.  p.  71. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  18 

B.  You  have  nothing  to  fear,  Sir,  at  present.  It  is  not  out  of  cu- 
riosity that  I  ask  your  opinion  ;  but  because  I  would  have  clear  no- 
tions of  it ;  and  such  solid  instructions  as  may  not  only  satisfy  myself, 
but  be  of  use  to  others  ;  for  you  know  my  profession  obliges  me  to 
preach.  Give  us  your  thoughts  therefore  without  any  reserve;  and 
do  not  be  afraid  either  of  contradicting  or  offending  me. 

A.  Since  you  will  have  it  so,  I  must  obey  your  commands.  To 
be  free  then,  I  conclude,  from  your  account  of  this  sermon,  that  it  was 
a  very  sorry  one.* 

B.  Why  so  ? 

A.  Why  ;  can  a  sermon,  in  which  the  scripture  is  falsely  ap- 
plied ;  a  scrap  of  profane  history  is  told  after  a  dry,  childish  man- 
ner; and  vain  affectation  of  wit  runs  throughout  the  whole  ;  can  such 
a  sermon  be  good  ? 

B.  By  no  means  ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  the  sermon  I  heard  is 
of  that  sort. 

A.  Have  patience,  and  I  doubt  not  but  you  and  T  shall  agree. 
When  the  preacher  chose  these  words  for  his  text,  '  I  have  eatea 
ashes  like  bread,'  ought  he  to  have  amused  his  audience  with  ob- 
serving some  kind  of  relation  between  the  mere  sound  of  his  text, 
and  the  ceremony  of  the  day  T  Should  he  not  first  have  explained  the 
true  sense  of  the  words,  before  he  applied  them  to  th%  present  occa- 
sion ? 

B.  It  had  been  better. 

A.  Ought  he  not  therefore  to  have  traced  the  subject  a  little  high- 
er, by  entering  into  the  true  occasion  and  design  of  the  Psalm,  and 
explaining  the  context  ?  Was  it  not  proper  for  him  to  inquire  wheth- 
er the  interpretation  he  gave  of  the  words  was  agreeable  to  the  true 
meaning  of  them,  before  he  delivered  his  own  sense  to  the  people,  as 
if  it  were  the  word  of  God  ? 

B.  He  ought  to  have  done  so :  but  what  fault  was  there  in  his 
interpretation  ? 

A.  Why,  I  will  tell  you.  David,  (who  was  the  author  of  the 
cii.  Psalm,)  speaks  of  his  own  misfortunes :  he  tells  us,  that  his  ene- 
mies insulted  him  cruelly,  when  they  saw  him  in  the  dust,  humbled 

*  A  preacher  may  propose  a  very  regular  method,  prosecute  it  very  exact- 
ly, express  himself  all  along  with  abundance  of  accuracy,  and,  if  you  will,  of 
elegance  too ;  adorn  the  whole  with  many  a  fine  flower  and  artificial  trapping 
of  language  ;  in  short,  deliver  a  very  pretty  harangue,  a  very  genteel  discourse, 
as  it  is  commonly  termed  ;  which  yet  may  prove,  after  all,  but  a  sorry  sermon, 
and  in  reality  good  for  little,  but  to  amuse  superficial  judges,  and  to  convince 
thorough  ones,  that  the  man  aspires  to  the  reputation, without  the  qualifications, 
of  an  orator."  Fordxcje  on  Pulpit  Eloquence. 


v/ 


14  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

at  their  feet,  and  reduced  (as  he  poetically  expresses  it)  to  '  eat 
ashes  like  bread,'  and  '  to  mingle  his  drink  with  weeping.'  Now, 
what  relation  is  there  between  the  complaints  of  David,  driven  from 
his  throne,  and  persecuted  by  his  son  Absalom  ;  and  the  humilia- 
tion of  a  Christian,  who  puts  ashes  on  his  forehead,  to  remind  him 
of  his  mortality,  and  disengage  him  from  sinful  pleasures  ?  Could 
the  preacher  find  no  other  text  in  scripture?  Did  Christ  and  his 
apostles,  or  the  prophets,  never  speak  of  death,  and  the  dust  of  the 
grave,  to  which  all  our  pride  and  vanity  must  be  reduced  ?  Does 
not  the  scripture  contain  many  affecting  images  of  this  important 
truth?  Might  he  not  have  been  content  with  the  words  of  Genesis,* 
which  are  so  natural  and  proper  for  this  ceremony,  and  chosen  by 
the  church  itself  ?  Should  a  vain  delicacy  make  him  afraid  of  too 
often  repeating  a  text  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  dictated,  and  which 
the  church  appoints  to  be  used  every  year  ?  Why  should  he  neglect 
such  a  pertinent  passage,  and  many  other  places  of  scripture,  to 
pitch  on  one  that  is  not  proper  ?  This  must  flow  from  a  depraved 
taste,  and  a  fond  inclination  to  say  something  that  is  new, 

B.  You  grow  too  warm.  Sir  :  supposing  the  literal  sense  of  the 
text  not  to  be  the  true  meaning  of  it,  the  preacher's  remarks  might 
however  be  very  fine  and  solid. 

C  As  for  my  part,  I  do  not  care  whether  a  preacher's  thoughts 
be  fine  or  not,  till  I  am  first  satisfied  of  their  being  true.  But,  Sir, 
what  say  you  to  the  rest  of  the  sermon  ? 

A.  It  was  exactly  of  a  piece  with  the  text.  How  could  the 
preacher  give  such  misplaced  ornaments  to  a  subject  in  itself  so 
terrifying  ;  and  amuse  his  hearers  with  an  idle  story  of  Artemesia's 
sorrow  ;  when  he  ought  to  have  alarmed  them,  and  given  them  the 
most  terrible  images  of  death  ? 

B.  I  perceive  then  you  do  not  love  turns  of  wit,  on  such  occa- 
sions. But  what  would  become  of  eloquence  if  it  were  stript  of  such 
ornaments  ?  Would  you  confine  every  body  to  the  plainness  of  coun- 
try preachers  ?  Such  men  are  useful  among  the  common  people ; 
but  persons  of  distinction  have  more  delicate  ears  ;  and  we  must  adapt 
our  discourses  to  their  polite  taste. 

A.  You  are  now  leading  me  off  from  the  point.  I  was  endeav- 
ouring to  convince  you,  that  the  plan  of  the  sermon  was  ill  laid ; 
and  I  was  just  going  to  touch  upon  the  division  of  it :  but  I  suppose 
you  already  perceive  the  reason  why  I  dislike  it ;  for  the  preacher 
lays  down  three  quaint  conceits  for  the  subject  of  his  whole  discourse. 

*  Gen.  iii.  19. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  15 

When  one  chooses  to  divide  a  sermon,  he  should  do  it  plainly,  and 
give  such  a  division  as  naturally  arises  from  the  subject  itself,  and 
gives  light  and  just  order  to  the  several  parts ;  such  a  division  as 
may  be  easily  remembered,  and  at  the  same  time  help  to  connect  and 
retain  the  whole  ;  in  fine,  a  division  that  shews  at  once  the  extent  of 
the  subject,  and  of  all  its  parts.  But,  on  the  contrary,  here  is  a  man 
who  endeavours  to  dazzle  his  hearers,  and  puts  them  off  with 
three  points  of  wit,  or  puzzling  riddles,  which  he  turns  and  plies 
so  dexterously,  that  they  must  fancy  they  saw  some  tricks  of  leger- 
demain.* Did  this  preacher  use  such  a  serious,  grave  manner  of 
address,  as  might  make  you  hope  for  something  useful  and  important 
from  him  ?  But,  to  return  to  the  point  you  proposed  ;  did  you  not 
ask  me  whether  I  meant  to  banish  eloquence  from  the  pulpit  ? 
JB.  Yes.     I  fancy  that  is  your  drift. 

A.  Think  you  so?     Pray  what  do  you  mean  by  eloquence? 

B.  It  is  the  art  of  speaking  well, 

A.  Has  this  art  no  other  end,  besides  that  of  speaking  well? 
Have  not  men  some  design  in  speaking  ?  Or  do  they  talk  only  for 
the  sake  of  talking  I 

B.  They  speak  to  please,  and  to  persuade  others. 

A.  Pray  let  us  carefully  distinguish  these  two  things.  Men  talk 
in  order  to  persuade ;  that  is  certain  :  and  too  often  they  speak  like- 
wise to  please  others.  But  while  one  endeavours  to  please,  he  has 
another  view ;  which,  though  more  distant,  ought  to  be  his  chief  aim. 
A  man  of  probity  has  no  other  design  in  pleasing  others,  than  that 
he  may  the  more  effectually  inspire  them  with  the  love  of  justice,  and 
other  virtues  ;  by  representing  them  as  most  amiable.  He  who  seeks 
to  advance  his  own  interest,  his  reputation,  or  his  fortune,  strives 
to  please,  only  that  he  may  gain  the  affection  and  esteem  of  such  as  can 
gratify  his  ambition,  or  his  avarice  :  so  that  this  very  design  of  pleas- 
ing is  still  but  a  different  manner  of  persuasion  that  the  orator  aims 
at ;  for  he  pleases  others  to  inveigle  their  affection  ;  that  he  may 
thereby  persuade  them  to   what  advances  his  interest. 

*  "A  blind  desire  to  shine  and  to  please,  is  often  at  the  expense  of  that 
substantial  honour  which  might  be  obtained,  were  Christian  orators  to  j-ive 
themselves  up  to  the  pure  emotions  of  piety,  which  so  well  agree  with  the 
sensibility  necessary  to  eloquence."  Abbe  Maury's  Principles  of  Eloquence, 
sect.  9. 

"  Uncommon  expressions,  strong;  flashes  of  wit,  pointed  similes,  and  epigram- 
matic turns,  especially  when  they  recur  too  frequently,  often  disfigure,  rather 
than  embellish,  a  discourse.  It  commonly  happens,  in  such  case?',  that  twen- 
ty insipid  conceits  are  found  for  one  thought  which  is  really  beautiful."— 
Hume's  Essays. 


16  ]>IALO(jiUES  CONCERNrNG  ELOQUENCE. 

B.  You  cannot  but  own  then  that  men  often  speak  to  please. 
The  most  ancient  orators  had  this  view.  Cicero's  orations  plainly 
shew  that  he  laboured  hard  for  reputation  :  and  who  will  not  believe 
the  same  of  Isocrates,  and  Demosthenes  too  ?  All  the  panegyrists 
were  more  solicitous  for  their  own  honour,  than  for  the  fame  of  their 
heroes ;  and  they  extolled  a  prince's  glory  to  the  skies,  chiefly  because 
they  hoped  to  be  admired  for  their  ingenious  manner  of  praising  him. 
This  ambition  seems  to  have  been  always  reckoned  commendable  both 
among  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans  :  and  such  emulation  brought  elo- 
quence to  its  perfection  :  it  inspired  men  with  noble  thoughts  and 
generous  sentiments,  by  which  the  ancient  republics  were  made  to 
flourish.  The  advantageous  light  in  which  eloquence  appeared  in 
great  assemblies,  and  the  ascendency  it  gave  the  orator  over  the 
people,  made  it  to  be  admired,  and  helped  to  spread  polite  learning. 
I  cannot  see  indeed  why  such  an  emulation  should  be  blamed  even 
among  christian  orators  ;  provided  they  did  not  shew  an  indecent  affec- 
tation in  their  discourses,  nor  in  the  least  enervate  the  precepts  of  the 
gospel.  We  ought  not  to  censure  what  animates  young  people,  and 
forms  our  greatest  preachers. 

A.  You  have  here  put  several  things  together,  which,  if  you 
please,  Sir,  we  will  consider  separately  ;  and  observe  some  method  in 
inquiring  what  we  ought  to  conclude  from  them.  But  let  us  above 
all  things  avoid  a  wrangling  humour  ;  and  examine  the  subject  with 
calmness  and  temper,  like  persons  who  are  afraid  of  nothing  so  much 
as  of  error,  and  let  us  place  the  true  point  of  honour  in  a  candid  ac- 
knowledgement of  our  mistakes,  whenever  we  perceive  them. 

B.  That  is  the  exact  state  of  my  mind  ;  or  at  least  I  judge  it 
to  be  so  ;  and  I  entreat  you  to  tell  me  when  you  find  me  transgres- 
sing this  equitable  rule. 

A.  We  will  not  as  yet  talk  of  what  relates  to  preachers  ;  for 
that  point  may  be  more  seasonably  considered  afterwards.  Let  us 
begin  with  those  orators,  whose  examples  you  vouched.  By  men- 
tioning Demosthenes  and  Isocrates  together,  you  disparage  the  form- 
er ;  for  the  latter  was  a  lifeless  declaimer,  that  busied  himself  in 
polishing  his  thoughts,  and  giving  a  harmonious  cadence  to  his  pe- 
riods.   He  had  a  very*  low  and  vulgar  notion  of  eloquence;  and  placed 

*  In  the  introduction  of  this  very  panegyric,  that  our  author  mentions, 
Isocrates  says :  Such  is  the  nature  of  eloquence  ;  that  it  makes  great  things 
appear  little  ;  and  small  things  to  seem  gr^ at ;  it  can  represent  old  things  as 
new  ;  and  new  things  as  if  they  were  old  ;  and  that  therefore  he  would  not 
decline  a  subject  that  others  had  handled  before  him.  but  would  endeavour 
to  declaim  better  than  they.— Upon  which  Longinus  (}  38.)  makes  this  judi- 
cious nmark:  that  by  giving  such  a  character  of  eloquence,  in  the  begiuuing 
of  his  panegyric,  the  orator  in  effect  cautioned  his  hearers  not  to  believe 
bis  discourse. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  17 

almost  the  whole  of  it,  in  a  nice  disposal  of  his  words.  A  man  who 
employed  ten  or  (as  others  say)  fifteen  years,  in  smoothing  the  pe- 
riods of  a  panegyric,  which  was  a  discourse  concerning  the  necessities 
of  Greece,  could  give  but  a  very  small  and  slow  relief  to  the  republic, 
against  the  enterprises  of  the  Persian  king.  Demosthenes  spoke 
against  Philip  in  a  quite  different  manner.  You  may  read  the  com- 
parison that  Dionysius  Halicarnassus  has  made  of  these  two  orators, 
and  see  there  the  chief  faults  he  observed  in  Isocrates ;  whose  dis- 
courses are  vainly  gay  and  florid;  and  his  periods  adjusted  with 
incredible  pains,  merely  to  please  the  ear :  while  on  the  contrary,* 
Demosthenes  moves,  warms,  and  captivates  the  heart.  He  was  too 
sensibly  touched  with  the  interest  of  his  country,  to  mind  the  glitter- 
ing fancies  that  amused  Isocrates.  Every  oration  of  Demosthenes  is 
a  close  chain  of  reasoning,  that  represents  the  generous  notions  of 
a  soul,  who  disdains  any  thought  that  is  not  great.  His  discourses 
gradually  increase  in  force  by  greater  light  and  new  reasons  ;  which 
are  always  illustrated  by  bold  figures  and  lively  images.  One  cannot 
but  see  that  he  has  the  good  of  the  republic  entirely  at  heart;  and 
that  nature  itself  speaks  in  all  his  transports :  for  his  artful  address 
is  so  masterly,  that  it  never  appears.  Nothing  ever  equalled  the 
force  and  vehemence  of  his  discourses.  Have  you  never  read  the  re- 
marks that  Longinus  made  on  them,  in  his  treatise  of  the  Sublime  ? 

B.  No  ;  is  not  that  the  treatise  that  Mr.  Boileau  translated  1  Do 
you  think  it  fine  ? 

A.  I  am  not  afraid  to  tell  you  that  I  think  it  surpasses  Aristotle's 
Rhetoric;  which,  though  it  be  a  very  solid  tract,  is  yet  clogged 
with  many  dry  precepts,  that  are  rather  curious,  than  fit  for  practice  ; 
so  that  it  is  more  proper  to  point  out  the  rules  of  art  to  such  as  are 
already  eloquent,  than  to  give  us  a  just  taste  of  rhetoric,  and  to  form 
true  orators.  But  Longinus,  in  his  discourse  on  the  Sublime,  inter- 
sperses among  his  precepts,  many  fine  examples  from  the  greatest  au- 
thors, to  illustrate  them.    Het  treats  of  the  Sublime  in  a  lofty  manner, 

*  In  oratoribus  vero,  Grsecis  quidem,  admirabile  est  quantum  inter  omnes 
unus  excellat.  Attamen  cum  esset  Demosthenes,  multi  oratores  magni,  etclari 
fuerunt,  et  antea,  fuerant,  nee  postea  defecerunt.     Cic.  Orat.  0  2. 

Quid  denique  Demosthenes?  non  cunctos  illos  tenues  et  circumspectos 
(oratores)  vi,  sublimitate,  impetu,  cultu,  compositione  superavit  ?  non  insui- 
gitlocis?  non  fi^uris  jaudet?  non  translationibus  nitet  ?  non  oratione  ficta 
dat  carentibus  vocem  ? — Quinlil.  lib.  xii.  cap.  10. 

+  Thee,  bold  Longinus !  all  the  nine  inspire, 
And  bless  their  critic  with  a  poet's  fire  : 
An  ardent  judge,  who,  zealous  in  his  trust. 
With  warmth  gives  sentence,  yet  is  always  just; 
Whose  own  example  strengthens  all  his  laws, 
And  is  himself  that  great  Sublime  he  draws. 

Jtfr.  Popt^s  Essay  on  Criticism^  p.  45. 

3 


18  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

as  his  translator  has  judiciously  observed :  he  warms  our  fancy,  and 
exalts  our  mind;  he  forms  our  taste;  and  teaches  us  to  distinguish 
what  is  either  fine,  or  faulty,  in  the  most  famous  ancient  writers. 

B.  Is  Longinus  such  a  wonderful  author  ?  Did  he  not  live  in  the 
days  of  Zenobia,  and  the  emperor  Aurelian  ? 

A.  Yes ;  you  cannot  but  know  their  history. 

B.  Did  not  those  days  fall  vastly  short  of  the  politeness  of  former 
ages?  and  can  you  imagine  that  an  author,  who  flourished  in  the 
declension  of  learning  and  eloquence,  had  a  better  taste  than  Isoc- 
rates  1     I  cannot  believe  it. 

A.  I  was  surprised  myself,  to  find  it  so  :  but  you  need  only  read 
him,  to  be  convinced  of  it.  Though  he  lived  in  a  very  corrupted 
age,  he  formed  his  judgement  upon  the  ancient  models ;  and  has 
avoided  almost  all  the  reigning  faults  of  his  own  time  ;  I  say  almost 
all,  for  I  must  own,  he  studied  rather  what  is  admirable,  than  what  is 
useful ;  and  did  not  consider  eloquence  as  subservient  to  morality  ; 
nor  apply  it  to  direct  the  conduct  of  life.  And  in  this  he  does  not 
seem  to  have  had  such  solid  views  as  the  ancient  Greeks,  and 
especially  some  of  their  philosophers.  But  we  ought  to  forgive  him  a 
failing,  for  which  Isocrates  was  far  more  remarkable,  though  he  liv- 
ed in  a  more  refined  age.  And  this  defect  ought  the  rather  to  be 
overlooked  in  a  particular  discourse,  where  Longinus  does  not  treat 
of  what  is  proper  to  instruct  men,  but  of  what  is  apt  to  move  and  seize 
their  passions.  I  choose  to  recommend  this  author,  Sir,  because  he 
will  help  to  explain  my  meaning  to  you.  You  will  see  what  a  glori- 
ous character  he  gives  Demosthenes,  from  whom  he  quotes  several 
passages  that  are  most  sublime :  he  will  likewise  show  you  those 
faults  of  Isocrates  that  I  mentioned.  If  you  be  unwilling  to  take  the 
trouble  of  becoming  acquainted  with  these  authors,  by  reading  their 
works  ;  you  may  get  a  very  just  notion  of  them  by  consulting  Lon- 
ginus. Let  us  now  leave  Isocrates ;  and  talk  of  Demosthenes  and 
Cicero. 

B.  You  are  for  leaving  Isocrates,  because  he  is  not  for  your  pur- 
pose. 

A.  Let  us  go  on  then  with  Isocrates,  since  you  are  not  yet  con- 
vinced ;  and  let  us  judge  of  his  rhetoric  by  the  rules  of  eloquence 
itself;  and  by  the  sentiments  of  Plato,  the  most*  eloquent  writer 
among  the  ancients.     Will   you  be  determined  by  him  ? 

*  Sed  ego  neque  illis  assentiebar,  neque  harum  disputationum  inventori, 
et  priocipi  longe  omnium  in  dicendo  giavissimo,  et  eloquent iasimo  Flatoni, 
cujus  turn  Athenis  cum  Carneade  diligentius  Icg-i  Goij^iam  quo  in  libro,  hoc 
maxiuie  admiraliar  Platonem,  quod  mihi  in  oratoribus  irridendis,  ipse  esse  Or- 
ator summus  videbatur.      Cic.   de  Oral.  lib.    1.  i  2.     Quid  denique  Demos- 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  19 

S.  I  will  be  determined  by  him,  if  he  be  in  the  right:  but  I 
never  resign  my  judgement  implicitly  to  any  author. 

A.  Remember  this  rule:  it  is  all  that  I  ask  of  you.  And  if 
you  do  not  let  some  fashionable  prejudices  bias  your  judgement, 
reason  will  soon  convince  you  of  the  truth.  I  would  therefore  have 
you  believe  neither  Isocrates,  nor  Plato  :  but  judge  of  them  both, 
by  clear  principles.  Now  I  suppose  you  will  grant  that  the  chief 
end  of  eloquence  is  to  persuade  men  to  embrace  truth  and  virtue. 

B.  I  am  not  of  your  mind :  this  is  what  I  have  already  denied. 

A.  I  will  endeavour  to  prove  it  then.  Eloquence,  if  I  mistake 
not,  may  be  considered  in  three  respects  :  as  the  art  of  enforcing 
truth  on  people's  minds,  and  of  making  them  better  :  as  an  art  in- 
different in  itself;  which  wicked  men  may  use  as  well  as  good;  and 
which  may  be  applied  to  recommend  injustice  and  error,  as  well  as 
probity  and  truth  :  and  as  an  art,  which  selfish  men  may  use  to  in- 
gratiate themselves  with  others  ;  to  raise  their  reputation,  and  make 
their  fortune.    Which  of  these  ends  do  you  admit  of? 

B.  I  allow  of  them  all.     What  do  you  infer  from  this  concession  1 

A.  The  inference  will  afterwards  appear.  Have  patience  a  lit- 
tle;  and  be  satisfied,  if  I  say  nothing  but  what  is  evidently  true,  till 
by  gradual  advances  I  lead  you  to  the  right  conclusion.  Of  the  three 
ends  of  eloquence,  I  now  mentioned,  you  will  undoubtedly  prefer  the 
first. 

B.  Yes ;  it  is  the  best. 

A.  What  think  you  of  the  second  ? 

B.  I  see  what  you  drive  at ;  you  are  going  into  a  fallacy.  The 
eecond  sort  is  faulty,  because  of  the  ill  use  the  orator  makes  of  his 
eloquence,  to  enforce  error  and  vice.  But  still  the  rhetoric  of  a 
wicked  man  may  be  good  in  itself,  though  the  use  he  makes  of  it  be 
pernicious.  Now  we  are  talking  of  the  nature  and  rules  of  eloquence  ; 
not  of  the  uses  it  should  be  applied  to.  Let  us  keep  to  the  true  state 
of  the  question. 

A.  If  you  will  do  me  the  favour  to  hear  me  a  little,  you  will  find 
that  I  have  the  point  in  dispute  always  in  view.  You  seem  then  to 
condemn  the  second  sort  of  eloquence ;  or,  to  speak  without  ambi- 
guity, you  condemn  the  abuse  of  rhetoric* 

thenes? — non  illud  jusjurandum  per  caesos  in  Maiathone  ac  Salamine  propuj- 
natores  reipublicae,  satis  maoifesto  docet  prseceptorem  ejus  Platonem  fuisse  ? 
quem  ipsum  num  Asianum  appellabimus  plerumque  instinctis  divino  spiritu 
vatibiis  comparandum  ?  Quint,  lib.  xii.  cap.  10.     See  Longinus,  i  xiii. 

*  When  I  consider  the  means  of  happy  livin^  (says  an  eloquent  writer)  and 
the  causes  of  their  corruption,  I  can  hardly  forbear  recanting  what  I  said   be- 


/ 


20  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

B.  Right,     You  now  speak  correctly  ;  so  far  then  we  are  agreed. 

A.  What  say  you  of  the  third  end  of  eloquence ;  I  mean  the 
orator's  endeavouring  to  please  others  by  talking ;  that  he  may  raise 
his  reputation  or  his  fortune  ? 

B.  You  know  my  opinion  already.  I  reckon  such  an  use  of  elo- 
quence very  fair  and  allowable ;  seeing  it  excites  a  laudable  emulation, 
and  helps  to  improve  men's  talents. 

A.  What  kind  of  talents  would  you  have  chiefly  improved  ?  Sup- 
pose you  had  some  new  state  or  commonvvealth,  to  model,  in  what 
kinds  of  knowledge  would  you  have  the  subjects  trained  up,  and  in- 
structed 1 

B.  In  every  kind  that  could  make  them  better.  I  would  en- 
deavour to  make  them  good  subjects,  peaceable,  obedient,  and  zealous 
for  the  public  welfare.  I  would  have  them  fit  to  defend  their  coun- 
try in  case  of  war  ;  and  in  peace  to  observe  and  support  the  laws  ; 
to  govern  their  families ;  cultivate  their  lands  ;  train  up  their  chil- 
dren to  the  practice  of  virtue,  and  inspire  them  with  a  strong  and  just 
sense  of  religion :  I  would  have  them  carry  on  such  a  trade  as  the 
state  and  necessities  of  the  country  might  require  :  and  apply  them- 
selves to  such  arts  and  sciences  as  are  useful  in  common  life.  These, 
I  think,  ought  to  be  the  chief  aims  of  a  lawgiver. 

A.  Your  views  are  very  just  and  solid.  You  would  then  have 
subjects  averse  to  laziness  ;  and  employed  about  such  useful  things 
as  should  tend  some  way  or  other  to  advance  the  public  good. 

B.  Certainly. 

A.  And  would  you  exclude  all  useless  professions  ? 

B.  Yes. 

A.  You  would  allow  only  of  such  bodily  exercises  as  conduced 
to  people's  health,  and  strength  ?  I  do  not  mention  the  beauty  of  the 
body ;  for  that  is  a  natural  consequence  of  health  and  vigour,  in  bod- 
ies that  are  duly  formed. 

B.  1  would  suffer  no  other  exercises. 

A.  Would  you  not  therefore  banish  all  those  that  serve  only  to 
amuse  people,  and  cannot  render  them  fitter  to  bear  either  the  con- 
stant labours  and  employments   of  peace,  or  the  fatigues  of  war  ? 

B.  Yes ;  I  should  follow  that  rule. 

fore  ;  and  concluding^  that  eloquence  ought  to  be  banished  out  of  all  civil  soci- 
eties, as  a  thing  fatal  to  peace  and  good  manners.  To  this  opinion  I  should 
wholly  incline,  if  I  did  not  find,  that  it  is  a  weapon  which  may  be  as  easily 
procured  by  bad  men,  as  by  good  ;  and  that  if  these  only  should  cast  it 
away,  and  those  retain  it ;  the  naked  innocence  of  virtue  would  be  upon  all 
occasions  exposed  to  the  armed  malice  of  the  wicked. 

Bishop  Sprafs  Hist,  of  the  Royal  Society,  p.  iii. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  21 

A.  I  suppose  you  would  do  it  for  the  same  reason  that  you  would 
likewise  condemn  (as  you  already  granted,)  all  those  exercises  of 
the  mind  which  do  not  conduce  to  render  it  more  strong,  sound,  and 
beautiful ;  by  making  it  more  virtuous. 

B.  It  is  so.  What  do  you  infer  from  that  ?  I  do  not  see  your 
drift :  your  windings  are  very  long. 

A.  Why  ;  I  would  argue  from  the  plainest  principles  ;  and  not 
advance  the  least  step,  without  carying  light  and  certainty  along  with 
us.     Answer  me,  then,  if  you  please. 

B.  Seeing  we  lay  down  the  rule  you  last  mentioned,  for  the  man- 
agement of  the  body,  there  is  certainly  greater  reason  to  follow  it  in 
the  conduct  and  improvement  of  the  mind. 

A.  Would  you  permit  such  arts  as  are  only  subservient  to  pleas- 
ure, amusement,  and  vain  curiosity  ;  and  have  no  relation  either  to 
the  duties  of  domestic  life,  or  the  common  offices  of  society  ? 

B.  I  would  banish  all  such  from  my  commonwealth. 

A.  If  you  allowed  of  mathematicians  then  it  would  be  for  the  sake 
of  mechanics,  navigation,  surveying  of  land,  the  fortification  of  places, 
and  such  calculations  as  are  useful  in  practice ;  &/C.  So  that  it  is 
the  usefulness  of  the  mathematics  that  would  recommend  them  to 
your  patronage.  And  if  you  tolerated  physicians  and  lawyers,  it 
would  be  for  the  preservation  of  health  ;  and  the  support  of  justice. 

B.  Right. 

A.  And  with  the  same  view  of  usefulness  you  would  admit  of 
all  other  serviceable  professions. 

B.  Certainly. 

A.  But  how  would  you  treat  the  musicians  ? 

B.  I  would  encourage  them. 

A.  Would  you  not  lay  them  under  some  proper  restraint,  ac- 
cording to  the  judgement  and  practice  of  the  ancient  Greeks,  who  al- 
ways joined  pleasure  and  usefulness  together  1 

B.  Explain  yourself  a  little. 

A.  Though  they  joined  music  and  poetry  together,  and  carried 
both  these  arts  to  the  greatest  perfection  ;  they  applied  them  to  in- 
spire people's  minds  with  fortitude,  and  noble  thoughts.  They  used 
poetry  and  music  to  prepare  them  for  battle  ;  and  carried  musicians 
and  their  various  instruments,  to  war.  Hence  came  drums  and 
trumpets,  which  raised  in  them  a  spirit  of  enthusiasm,  and  a  sort  of 
fury  that  they  called  divine.  It  was  by  music,  and  the  charms  of 
verse,  that  they  softened  savage  nations :  and  by  the  same  harmony, 
they  sweetly  instilled  wisdom  into  their  children.     They  made  them 


22  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

sing  Homer's  verses,  to  inspire  their  minds  with  the  love  of  glory, 
liberty,  and  their  native  country  ;  and  with  a  contempt  of  death, 
and  riches,  and  effeminate  pleasure.  They  gave  their  very  dances 
a  grave  and  serious  turn :  for  it  is  certain  they  danced  not  merely  for 
the  sake  of  pleasure.  We  see  by  David's  example,*  that  the  eas- 
tern people  reckoned  dancing  a  serious  kind  of  employment,  like  mu- 
sic and  poetry.  The  mysterious  dances  of  the  priests  were  adopted 
by  the  heathens  among  their  ceremonies,  on  solemn  festivals,  in 
honour  of  their  gods.  There  were  a  thousand  instructions  couched 
under  their  poems,  and  their  fables  :  nay,  their  most  grave  and  aus- 
tere philosophy  always  appeared  with  an  air  of  gaiety  and  good  hu- 
mour. All  those  arts  that  consisted  either  in  melodious  sounds,  reg- 
ular motions  of  the  body,  or  the  use  of  words  ;  music,  dancing,  elo- 
quence, and  poetry,  were  invented  to  express  the  passions  ;  and  by 
that  means,  to  communicate  these  passions  to  others.  Thus  did  they 
endeavour  to  convey  noble  sentiments  to  people's  minds,  and  give 
them  lively,  affecting  views  of  the  beauty  of  virtue,  and  the  deform- 
ity of  vice.  So  that  all  these  arts,  under  the  show  of  pleasure,  fa- 
voured the  most  serious  designs  of  the  ancients  ;  and  were  used  to 
promote  morality  and  religion.  Even  the  diversion  of  hunting  was 
encouraged  to  train  up  the  youth  for  war.  Their  strongest  pleas- 
ures contained  always  some  solid  instruction.  From  which  source 
flowed  those  many  heroic  virtues  in  Greece,  which  all  ages  have 
since  admired.  It  is  true,  this  first  kind  of  instruction  was  afterwards 
changed  ;  and  of  itself  was  accompanied  with  remarkable  defects. 
The  chief  fault  of  it  was,  its  being  founded  on  a  false  and  pernicious 
scheme  of  religion  ;  in  which  the  Greeks,  and  all  the  ancient  sages 
of  the  heathen  world,  were  strangely  deceived  ;  being  plunged  into 
gross  idolatry.  But  notwithstanding  this  fundamental  mistake,  they 
chose  a  very  proper  way  of  inspiring  men  with  religion  and  virtue  : 
their  method  was  wise,  agreeable,  and  apt  to  make  a  lively,  lasting 
impression. 

C.  You  said  that  this  first  institution  was  afterwards  changed  : 
pray,  how  did  it  happen  ? 

A.  Though  virtue  gives  men  the  true  politeness;  if  great  care 
/  be  not  taken,  politeness  gradually  degenerates  into  an  unmanly  soft- 
^  ness.  The  Asiatic  Greeks  fell  first  into  this  corruption.  The  loni- 
ans  grew  effeminate  ;  and  all  that  coast  of  Asia  was  a  theatre  of  lux- 
ury. The  Cretans  too  became  corrupted,  notwithstanding  the  wise 
laws  of  Minos.     You  know  the  verse  that  St.  Paul  quotes  from  one 

*2  feJam.  vi.  5,  14. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  23 

of  their  own  poets.*  Corinth  was  remarkable  for  its  excessive  riot 
and  dissoluteness.  The  Romans,  as  yet  unpolished,  began  to  fall  into 
such  practices  as  quite  relaxed  their  rustic  virtue.  Athens  was  not 
free  from  the  general  contagion,  with  which  Greece  was  all-over  in- 
fected. Pleasure,  which  was  used  at  first  to  convey  wisdom  into  peo- 
ple's minds,  usurped  the  place  of  wisdom  itself:  and  in  vain  did  the 
philosophers  remonstrate  against  this  disorder.  Socrates  arose,  and 
showed  his  deluded  fellow-citizens  that  the  pleasure,  about  which 
they  were  entirely  employed,  ought  only  to  be  used  as  the  vehicle  of 
wisdom,  and  an  incentive  to  virtue.  Plato,  his  disciple,  (who  was 
not  ashamed  to  compose  his  dialogues  on  the  plan  and  subject  of  his 
master's  discourses,)  banished  from  his  republic  all  such  musical 
notes,  scenes  of  tragedy,  and  poetical  compositions,  (even  such  parts 
of  Homer  himself,)  as  did  not  incline  people  to  love  order,  and  wise 
laws.  This,  Sir,  was  the  judgement  of  Socrates  and  Plato  concerning 
poets   and   musicians  :  do  you  approve  of  it  ? 

B.  I  am  entirely  of  their  mind;  and  would  allow  of  nothing  that 
is  useless.  Since  we  may  find  pleasure  enough  in  solid  and  val- 
uable things,  we  ought  not  to  seek  for  it  elsewhere.  In  order  to 
recommend  virtue  to  men's  esteem  and  practice,  we  must  show  them 
that  it  is  consistent  with  pleasure  ;  and  on  the  contrary,  if  we  sep- 
arate pleasure  from  virtue,  people  will  be  strongly  tempted  to  for- 
sake a  virtuous  course.  Besides,  that  which  gives  pleasure  only,  with- 
out instruction,  can  at  best  but  amuse  and  soften  the  mind.  Do  not 
you  see,  Sir,  how  much  a  philosopher  I  am  become,  by  hearing  you  1 
But  let  us  go  on  to  the  end ;  for  we  are  not  yet  perfectly  agreed. 

A.  I  hope  we  shall  be  very  quickly.  And  since  you  are  grown 
so  much  a  philosopher,  give  me  leave  to  ask  one  question  more.  We 
have  obliged  musicians  and  poets,  to  employ  their  art  only  for  pro- 
moting virtue ;  and  the  subjects  of  your  new  republic  are  debarred 
from  all  such  spectacles  as  can  only  please  and  not  instruct  them. 
But  what  would  you  do  with  conjurers  1 

B.  They  are  impostors,  that  ought  to  be  banished  from  all  socie- 
ties. 

A,  They  do  no  harm.  You  cannot  think  they  are  sorcerers  ;  so 
that  you  have  no  reason  to  be  afraid  of  their  practising  any  diabol- 
ical art. 

B.  No,  I  do  not  fear  that :  nor  should  I  give  the  least  credit  to 
any  of  their  senseless  stories.     But  they  do  harm  enough  by  amusing 

*  KQtjTi?  ««i  xfjtvarai,  xaaa  ^ijotot,  yaorepeg  (ipyat. 

Tit.  i.  12. 


24  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

the  common  people.  I  will  not  suffer  such  idle  persons  in  my  com- 
monwealth, as  divert  others  from  their  business,  and  have  no  other 
employment  but  to  amuse  people  with  foolish  talk. 

A.  But,  perhaps,  they  get  a  livelihood  that  way  ;  and  lay  up 
wealth  for  themselves,  and  their  families. 

B.  No  matter  :  they  must  find  out  some  honest  way  of  living.  It 
is  not  enough  that  they  seek  a  livelihood  ;  they  must  gain  it  by  some 
employment  that  is  useful  to  the  public.  I  say  the  same  of  all  those 
strolling  vagabonds,  who  amuse  crowds  with  silly  prattle  and  fool- 
ish songs.  For  though  they  should  never  lie,  nor  say  any  thing  that 
is  immodest ;  their  being  useless  to  the  public  is  guilt  enough.  So 
that  they  ought  either  to  be  excluded  from  the  society,  or  compelled 
to  follow  some  useful  occupation. 

A.  Would  you  not  at  least  tolerate  tragedians,  provided  they  rep- 
resent no  scenes  of  immodesty  or  extravagant  love  ?  I  do  not  ask  you 
this  question  as  a  Christian  ;  answer  only  as  a  lawgiver,  and  a  philos- 
opher. 

B.  If  tragedies  did  not  conduce  to  instruction  as  well  as  to  pleas- 
ure, I  should  condemn  them. 

A.  Right.  In  that  you  are  exactly  of  Plato's  opinion  ;  for  he  would 
not  allow  of  any  poems  or  tragedies  in  his  republic,  that  should  not 
first  be  examined  by  the  guardians  of  the  laws  ;  that  so  the  people 
might  neither  hear  nor  see  any  thing  but  what  should  tend  to  strength- 
en the  laws,  and  promote  virtue.  In  this  you  likewise  fall  in  with 
the  sentiments  of  other  ancient  authors,  who  judged  that  tragedy 
ought  to  turn  chiefly  upon  two  passions ;  either  the  terror,  that  arises 
from  a  view  of  the  fatal  effects  of  vice  ;  or  that  compassion,  which 
accompanies  the  representation  of  an  oppressed  and  steady  virtue. 
Sophocles  and  Euripides  wrote  with  these  views,  and  always  endeav- 
oured to  excite  either  pity  or  terror. 

B.  I  remember  I  have  met  with  this  last  rule  in  Mr.  Boileau's 
Art  of  Poetry. 

A.  You  are  right.  He  is  a  man  that  knows  perfectly  well  not 
only  the  foundation  of  poetry,  but  likewise  the  solid  aim  to  which 
philosophy  (superior  to  all  arts)  ought  to  direct  the  poet. 

B.  But  whither  are  you  leading  me  all  this  while  1 

A.  I  lead  you  no  farther:  you  guide  yourself  now;  and  are 
happily  come  to  the  conclusion  I  first  proposed.  Have  you  not  said, 
that  in  your  republic,  you  would  not  suffer  idle  people  to  amuse  oth- 
ers, and  have  no  other  business  but  merely  to  talk  ?  Is  it  not  upon 
this  principle  that  you  would  exclude  ail  such  tragedies  as  do  not  con- 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  25 

vey  instruction  as  well  as  pleasure  1  Now,  will  you  suffer  that  to  be 
done  in  prose,  which  you  will  not  tolerate  in  verse?  After  such  a  just 
rigour  against  useless  poetry,  how  can  you  show  any  favour  to 
those  declaimers,*  who  talk  only  to  show  their  parts  ? 

B.  But  these  orators  we  were  speaking  of,  have  two  designs  that 
are  commendable. 

A.  What  are  they  ? 

B.  The  first  is  to  maintain  themselves;  for  by  their  profession 
they  procure  a  subsistence.  Their  rhetoric  gets  them  repute  ;  and 
this  brings  along  with  it  that  wealth  they  stand  in  need  of. 

A.  You  yourself  have  already  answered  this  pretence  ;  for  did 
you  not  say  that  it  is  not  enough  that  one  gains  a  livelihood,  unless 
he  get  it  by  some  employment  that  is  useful  to  the  public  1  He, 
who  should  represent  tragedies  that  give  no  instruction,  might  get  his 
bread  by  them  :  but  this  would  not  hinder  you  from  driving  him  out 
of  the  commonwealth.  You  would  say  to  him  :  '  Go,  choose  some 
regular,  useful  employment ;  and  do  not  divert  your  neighbours  from 
their  business.  If  you  would  have  a  lawful  gain  from  them,  apply 
yourself  to  do  them  some  real  service  ;  or  to  make  them  more  wise 
and  virtuous/  Now  why  should  you  not  say  the  same  to  the  rheto- 
ricians ? 

B.  But  I  have  a  second  reason  to  offer  for  tolerating  them. 
A.  Pray,  let  us  hear  it. 

f     B.  Why  !  the  orator  serves  the  public. 

.,o  A.  In  what  ? 

j;     Bt  He  improves  people's  minds,  and  teaches  them  eloquence. 

A.  Suppose  I  should  invent  some  fantastic  art,  or  imaginary  lan- 
guage, that  could  not  be  of  any  use  ;  could  I  serve  the  public  by 
teaching  such  a  senseless  language,  or  silly  art  ? 

B.  No  ;  because  one  cannot  serve  others  as  a  master,  unless  he 
could  teach  them  something  that  is  useful. 

*  Who  can  behold,  without  indignation,  how  many  mists  and  uncertainties 
these  specious  tropes  and  figures  have  brought  on  our  knowledge  ?  how  many 
rewards,  tliat  are  due  to  more  profitable  and  difficult  arts,  have  been  still 
snatched  away  by  the  easy  vanity  of  fine  speaking  ?  for  now  I  am  warmed 
with  this  just  anger,  I  cannot  withhold  myself  from  betraying  the  shallowness 
of  all  those  iieeming  mysteries,  upon  which  we  writers  and  speakers  look  so 
big.  And  in  few  words  I  dare  say,  that  of  all  the  studies  of  men,  nothing 
may  be  sooner  obtained,  than  the  vicious  abundance  of  phrase,  the  trick  of 
metaphors,  this  volubility  of  tongue,  which  makes  so  great  noise  in  the  world. 
But  I  sptnd  words  in  vain  ;  for  the  evil  is  now  so  inveterate,  that  it  is  hard 
to  know  whom  to  blame  ;  or  where  to  begin  to  reform.  We  all  value  one 
Smother  so  much  upon  this  beautiful  deceit,  and  labour  so  long  after  it,  in  the 
y<;ar?  of  our  education  ;  that  we  cannot  but  ever  after  think  kinder  of  it  than 
it  deserves.  Bishop  Sprafs  Hist,  of  the  Royal  Society,  p.  1 12. 

4 


/ 


526  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

A.  You  cannot  prove,  then,  that  an  orator  serves  the  public,  by 
teaching  eloquence,  unless  you  could  first  show  that  it  is  a  useful 
art.  Of  what  use  are  a  man's  fine  thoughts  if  they  do  not  advance 
the  public  good  1  I  am  very  sensible  that  they  are  advantageous  to 
himself;  for  they  dazzle  his  hearers ;  who  have  so  bad  a  taste  that 
they  will  applaud  his  skill,  and  even  reward  him  for  his  useless  talk. 
But  ought  you  to  suffer  such  a  mercenary,  fruitless  eloquence  in  the 
government  you  have  to  model  ?  A  shoemaker  is  serviceable  in  his  way, 
and  maintains  his  family  with  what  he  gains  by  supplying  other  peo- 
ple's necessities.  So  that  you  see  the  most  ordinary  employments 
tend  to  some  useful  purpose  ;  and  there  is  no  other  art  but  the  rhe- 
torician's, that  serves  only  to  amuse  people  with  talking.  In  fine, 
such  eloquence  can  only,  on  the  one  hand,  satisfy  the  vain  curiosity 
of  the  hearers,  and  encourage  their  idleness;  and,  on  the  other,  grat- 
ify the  declaimer's  pride  and  ambition.  But,  for  the  honour  of  your 
republic.  Sir,  do  not  tolerate  such  an  abuse. 

a.  I  must  grant  that  an  orator's  aim  should  be  to  make  people 
^       more  wise  and  virtuous. 

A.  Do  not  forget  this  :  you  shall  see  the  consequences  of  it  by  and 

by. 

S.  Notwithstanding  this  concession,  he,  who  is  employed  in 
instructing  others,  may  at  the  same  time,  endeavour  to  acquire  reputa- 
tion and  wealth  for  himself. 

A.  I  told  you  before,  that  we  are  not  now  handling  the  point  as 
Christians :  I  need  only  use  philosophy  against  you.  Let  me  put  you 
in  mind  that  you  grant  an  orator  is  obliged  to  instruct  others  with  a 
design  to  improve  them  in  virtue.  Thus  we  get  rid  of  all  useless 
declaimers.  We  ought  not  even  to  suffer  panegyrists  any  farther  than 
they  render  true  wisdom  and  probity  more  amiable  by  their  prais- 
es;  and  propose  models  of  virtue*  and  valour  that  are  worthy  of  im- 
itation. 

B.  What,  then,  is  a  panegyric  good  for  nothing,  unless  it  be  full 
of  morality  ? 

A.  Have  you  not  granted  this  already  ?  Instruction  is  the  proper 
end  of  speech  :  and  the  only  good  reason  for  praising  any  hero  is, 
that  we  may  represent  his  worth  to  others,  in  order  to  excite  their 

*  Perspicuum  est  igitur  alia  e»se  in  homiue  optanda,  alia  laudauda.  Ge- 
nus, forma,  vires,  opes,  divitise,  ceteiaque  quse  toitiina  det,  aut  extrinsecus,  aut 
corpori,  non  habent  in  se  veram  laudem,  quae  deberi  Virtuti  uni  putatur. — 
Virtus  autem  quae  est  per  se  ipsa  laudabilis,  et  sine  qua  nihil  laudari  potest, 
tamenhabet  plures  partes,  quarum  alia  est  ad  laudatiouem  aptior. 

Cic.  de  Oral,  lib,  ii. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  37 

emulation  ;  and  to  shew  them,  that  virtue  and  true  glory  are  insep- 
arable. Therefore  a  panegyric  should  be  kept  from  all  general,  ex- 
cessive, flattering  praises,  and  such  barren  thoughts  as  do  not  afford 
the  least  instruction.  Every  thing  should  tend  to  make  the  hearers  m 
love  with  what  is  truly  great  and  good.  But  we  find  that  most  pane- 
gyrists seem  to  magnify  particular  virtues,  only  that  they  may  the 
more  effectually  praise  those  that  practised  them,  and  set  off  their  he- 
roes to  greater  advantage.  When  they  have  any  one  to  praise,  they 
exalt  his  peculiar  virtues  far  above  all  others.  But  every  thing  has 
its  turn ;  and,  on  another  occasion,  those  very  qualities,  which  they 
preferred  before,  must  now  give  place  to  some  other  virtues,  that 
come  in  course  to  be  extolled  to  the  highest  pitch.  In  this  respect, 
I  think  Pliny  is  to  be  blamed.  If  he  had  praised  Trajan  as  a  fit 
model  for  other  heroes  to  copy  after,  this  would  have  been  a  design 
worthy  of  an  orator.  But  the  praise  of  that  prince  (however  deserv- 
ing he  was)  ought  not  to  have  been  Pliny's  chief  aim.  Trajan 
should  only  have  been  proposed  to  mankind  as  an  imitable  example, 
to  allure  them  to  virtue.  When  a  panegyrist  has  such  a  mean  view, 
as  to  praise  the  person,  rather  than  the  virtues  that  render  him  con- 
spicuous, this  is  only  flattery  addressed  to  pride. 

B.  What  think  you  then  of  those  poems,  that  were  made  in 
praise  of  ancient  heroes  ?  Homer  has  his  Achilles  ;  and  Virgil  his 
iEneas.     Will   you  condemn  these  two  poets  ? 

A.  By  no  means,  Sir  ;  do  but  examine  the  design  of  their  works. 
In  the  Iliad,  Achilles  is  the  chief  hero  ;  but  his  praise  is  not  the 
main  end  of  the  poem.  His  character  is  faithfully  drawn  with  ail  its 
defects ;  nay,  these  very  defects  are  a  part  of  that  instruction,  which 
the  poet  designed  to  convey  to  posterity.  The  great  design  of  this 
work  was  to  inspire  the  Greeks  with  the  love  of  warlike  glory  ;  and 
a  dread  of  discord,  as  the  greatest  obstacle  to  success.  This  moral 
instruction  is  plainly  interwoven  throughout  the  poem.  The  Odyssey 
indeed  represents  in  Ulysses,  a  hero  more  regular,  and  more  accomp- 
lished :  but  this  is  still  natural.  For,  of  course,  a  man,  like  Ulysses, 
whose  chief  character  is  wisdom,  must  be  more  wary,  and  uniform  in 
his  conduct,  than  such  a  rough,  warm,  forward  youth  as  Achilles. 
So  that  in  drawing  both  these  heroes,  Homer  seems  only  to  have 
copied  nature.  In  fine,  throughout  the  Odyssey  we  find  innumerable 
instructions  for  the  whole  conduct  of  life:  and  one  cannot  but  ob- 
serve that  the  poet's  design,  in  describing  a  prudent  man,  whose  wis- 
dom makes  him  always  successful,  was  to  shew  posterity  what  good 
effects  might  be  expected  from  prudent  piety,  and  a  regular  life.     Vir« 


38  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

gil  in  his  ^neid,  has  imitated  the  Odyssey  in  his  hero's  character ; 
and  has  drawn  him  brave,  moderate,  pious,  and  steady.  But  it  is 
evident  that  the  praise  of  yEneas  was  not  the  poet's  principal  aim. 
That  hero  was  designed  to  represent  the  Roman  people,  who  descend- 
ed from  him:  and  Virgil  meant  to  shew  them  that  their  extraction 
was  divine  ;  that  the  gods  had  destined  them  to  govern  the  world : 
and  by  this  he  animated  them  to  the  practice  of  such  heroic  vir- 
tues as  might  support  the  glory  designed  for  them.  Now  a  heathen 
could  not  possibly  devise  a  nobler  moral  than  this.  The  only  fault 
of  which  Virgil  can  be  suspected,  is  his  having  had  his  private  in- 
terest too  much  in  view  ;  and  his  turning  his  excellent  poem  to  the 
praise  of  Augustus,  and  his  family,  with  too  great  an  air  of  flattery. 
But  we  ought  not  to  criticise  any  author  too  severely. 

B.  But  will  you  not  allow  a  poet,  or  an  orator,  to  seek  his  fortune 
in  an  honourable   way  ? 

A.  After  this  useful  digression  concerning  panegyrics,  we  now  re- 
turn to  the  difficulty  you  proposed.  The  question  is,  whether  an  ora- 
tor ought  to  be  entirely  disinterested  ? 

B.  I  do  not  think  that  he  ought :  for  this  would  overturn  the  most 
common  maxims. 

A.  In  your  republic,  would  you  not  have  orators  obliged  to  the 
strictest  rules  of  truth  1  do  not  you  own  that  they  ought  never  to  speak 
in  public,  but  in  order  to  instruct  people,  to  reform  their  conduct,  and 
strengthen  the  laws  1 

B.  Yes. 

A.  An  orator  then  should  have  nothing  either  to  hope  or  fear  from 
his  hearers,  with  regard  to  his  own  interest.  If  you  allowed  of 
ambitious,*  mercenary  declaimers,  do  you  think  they  would  oppose 
all  the  foolish,  unruly  passions  of  men  ?  If  they  themselves  be  sub- 
ject to  avarice,  ambition,  luxury,  and  such  shameful  disorders,  will 
they  be  able  to  cure  others  1  If  they  seek  after  wealth  ;  can  they  be 
fit  to  disengage  others  from  that  mean  pursuit?  I  grant,  that  a  vir- 
tuous and  disinterested  orator  ought  always  to  be  supplied  with  the 
conveniences  of  life  :  nor  can  he  even  want  them,  if  he  be  a  true 
philosopher  ;  I  mean,  such  a  wise  and  worthy  person,  as  is  fit  to  re- 
form the  manners  of  men  ;  for  then   he  will  live  after  a  plain,  mod- 


*  Jam  hoc  quis  non  videt,  maximatn  partem  orationis  in  tractatu  rcqui  boni- 
que  consistere  ?  dlcetiie  de  his  secundum  debitam  rerum  dignitatem  malus 
atque  iniquus?  denique — demus  id  quod  nullo  modo  fieri  potest,  idem  igenii, 
studii,  docfrinae,  pessimo,  atque  oplimo  viro,  uter  melior  dicetur,  orator? 
nimirum  qui  homo  quoque  melior.  Non  igitur  unquam  malus  idem  homo,  et 
perftctus  orator.     Quint,  lib.  xii.  r.  1. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  V9 

est,  frugal,  laborious  manner  :  he  will  have  occasion  but  for  little  ; 
and  that  little  he  will  never  want;  though  he  should  earn  it  with  his 
own  hands.  Now,  what  is  superfluous  ought  not  to  be  offered  him, 
as  the  recompense  of  his  public  services  :  and  indeed  it  is  not  wor- 
thy of  his  acceptance.  He  may  have  honour  and  authority  confer- 
red on  him  ;  but  if  he  be  master  of  his  passions,  as  we  suppose,  and  • 
above  selfish  views,  he  will  use  this  authority  only  for  the  public  good  ; 
and  be  ready  to  resign  it,  when  he  can  no  longer  enjoy  it  without  flat- 
tery or  dissimulation.  In  short,  an  orator  cannot  be  fit  to  persuade 
people,  unless  he  be  inflexibly  upright ;  for,  without  this  steady  vir-  •< 
tue,  his  talents  and  address,  would,  like  a  mortal  poison,  infect  and 
destroy  the  body  politic.  For  this  reason  Cicero*  thought,  that  vir- 
tue is  the  chief  and  most  essential  quality  of  an  orator ;  and  that  he 
should  be  a  person  of  such  unspotted  probity  as  to  be  a  pattern  to 
his  fellow  citizens ;  without  which  he  cannot  even  seem  to  be  con- 
vinced himself  of  what  he  says  ;  and  consequently,  he  cannot  per- 
suade others. 

B.  I  am  sensible  there  is  a  great  deal  of  weight  in  what  you 
say ;  but  after  all,  may  not  a  man  fairly  employ  his  talents  to  raise 
himfelf  in  the  world  1 

A.  Let  us  look  back  always  to  the  principles  we  laid  down.  We 
have  agreed  that  eloquence,  and  the  profession  of  an  orator,  should  be 
devoted  to  the  instruction  of  people,  and  the  reformation  of  their  prac- 
tice. Now,  to  do  this  with  freedom  and  success,  a  man  must  be 
disinterested  ;  and  must  teach  others  to  contemn  death,  and  riches, 
and  unmanly  pleasure.  He  must  infuse  into  their  minds  the  love  of 
moderation,  frugality,  a  generous  concern  for  the  public  good,  and 
an  inviolable  regard  to  the  laws  and  constitution :  and  the  orator's 
zeal  for  all  these  must  appear  in  his  conduct,  as  well  as  in  his  dis- 
courses. But  will  he,  who  strives  to  please  others,  that  he  may  make 
his  fortune  ;  and  who  therefore  avoids  disobliging  any  body  ;  I  say, 
will  such  an  artful,  selfish  person  inculcate  unacceptable  truths  with 

*  Est  enim  eloquentia  una  qusedam  de  siimmis  virtutibus — quae  quo  major 
est  vis,  hoc  est  magis  probitate  jungenda,  summaque  prudentia;  quarum 
virtutum  expertibus  si  dicendi  copiam  tradidcriinus,  non  eos  quidem  oratores 
effecerimus ;  sed  furentibus  qusedam  arma  dederimus.      De  Oral.  1.  iii.  i  14. 

Sit  er»o  nobis  orator  quem  instituiaius  is,  qui  a  M.  Cicerone  finitur,  vir 
bonus  dicendi  peritus — Adde  quod  ne  studio  quidem  operis  pulcherritni 
vacate  mens,  nisi  omnibus  vitiis  libera,  potest — Quid  putamus  farturas  cupid- 
italem,  avaritiam,  invidiam  ?  quarum  impotentissima;  cogitationes,  somnos 
etiam  ipsos,  et  ilia  per  quietem  visa,  perturbent.  Nihil  est  enim  tam  occu- 
patum,  tam  multiforme,  tot  ac  tam  variis  affectibus  coucisum  atque  lacera- 
tum,  quam  mala  mens.      ^uint.  lib.  xii.  cap.  1. 


30  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

boldness  and  authority  ?  or,  if  he  should,  will  any  one  believe  a  man, 
who  does  not  seenri  to  believe  himself? 

B.  But  supposing  him   to  be  in   narrow  circumstances,  he  does 
*      no  harm,  I  hope,  by  endeavouring  to  improve  them. 

y^.  A.  If  he  be  pinched,  let  him  try  to  mend  his  condition  some  other 
Y  way.  There  are  other  professions  that  will  easily  set  him  above  want. 
But  if  he  be  in  such  extreme  distress  as  to  depend  on  relief  from 
the  public  ;  he  is  not  yet  fit  to  be  an  orator.  Would  you  choose  men 
that  are  indigent,  and  almost  starving,  to  be  judges  in  your  com- 
monwealth ?  Would  you  not  be  afraid  that  their  wants  might  ex- 
pose them  to  corruption  ;  or  betray  them  into  some  dishonourable  com- 
pliance ?  Would  you  not  rather  choose  persons  of  note  and  distinc- 
tion, who  are  above  necessity,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  its  temptations? 
B.  I  believe  I  should. 

A.  For  the  same  reason,  if  you  wanted  orators,  that  is,  public  mas- 
ters to  instruct,  reclaim,  and  form  the  minds  and  manners  of  the  peo- 
ple, would  you  not  choose  such  men  as  wanted  nothing,  and  are  far 
above  little  selfish  aims?  And  if  there  were  others,  who  had  proper 
talents  for  this  superior  office,  but  were  clogged  with  their  personal 
concerns  and  narrow  views  of  private  interests  ;  would  you  not  ex- 
cuse them  from  showing  their  eloquence  till  they  were  more  easy 
and  disengaged  in  their  circumstances  ;  and  could  speak  in  public 
without  being  suspected  of  any  mean  design  ? 

B.  It  would  be  better.  But  does  not  the  experience  of  our  own 
age  plainly  shew,  that  an  orator  may  make  his  fortune  by  preach- 
ing rigid  virtue  with  great  vehemence?  Where  can  we  find  keener 
satires  against  the  prevailing  corruptions  of  the  age,  and  severer  mor- 
al characters,  than  those  which  come  from  the  pulpit?  Yet  people 
are  not  disturbed  at  them  ;  nay,  they  are  pleased  with  them ;  and  the 
ingenious  preacher  gets  preferment  by  them. 

A.  lit  is  very  true  ;  but  moral  instructions  have  no  weight  or 
influence,  when  they  are  neither  supported  by  clear  principles,  nor 
good  examples.  Whom  do  you  see  converted  by  them  ?  People  are 
Accustomed  to  hear  such  harangues  ;  and  are  amused  by  them,  as 
with  so  many  fine  scenes  passing  before  their  eyes.  They  hearken  to 
such  lectures  just  as  they  would  read  a  satire :  and  they  look  on 
the  speaker  as  one  that  acts  his  part  well,  j  They  believe  his*  life, 

*  The  clergy  have  one  great  advantage  beyond  all  the  rest  of  the  world 
in  this  respect,  besides  all  others,  that  whereas  the  particular  callings  of  other 
men  prove  to  them  great  distractions,  and  lay  many  temptations  in  their  way, 
to  divert  them  from  minding  their  high  and  holy  calling,  of  being  Christians  ; 
it  is  quite  otherwise  with  the  clergy  ;  the  more  they  follow  their  proper  cal- 


BIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  31 

more  than  his  talk  :  and  when  they  know  him  to  be  selfish,  ambi- 
tious, vain,  given  up  to  sloth  and  luxury  ;  and  see  that  he  parts  with 
none  of  those  enjoyments  which  he  exhorts  others  to  forsake;  though 
for  the  sake  of  custom  and  ceremony,  they  hear  him  declaim  ;  they 
believe  and  act  as  he  does.  But,  what  is  worst  of  all  ;  people  are  too 
apt  to  conclude,  that  men  of  this  profession  do  not  believe  what  they 
teach :  this  disparages  their  function  ;  and  when  others  preach  with 
a  sincere   zeal,  people  will  scarce  believe  the  zeal  to  be  sincere. 

B.  I  cannot  but  own  that  your  notions  hang  well  together  ;  and 
that  they  are  very  convincing  when  one  considers  them  attentively. 
But  tell  me  freely,  does  not  all  you  have  said  on  this  subject  flow 
from   a   pure   zeal  for  christian  piety  1 

A.  No  ;  if  an  unbeliever  reason  justly,  he  must  fall  into  the  same 
train  of  thoughts  :  but  indeed  one  must  have  a  christian  spirit  to  act 
up  to  them  ;  for  it  is  grace  alone  that  can  suppress  the  disorderly  emo- 
tions of  self-love.  When  I  pressed  you  with  the  authority  of  Socrates 
and  Plato,  you  would  not  resign  your  judgement  to  theirs  ;  and  now, 
since  reason  itself  begins  to  convince  you  ;  and  that  I  need  not  en- 
force the  truth  from  authorities ;  what  if  I  should  tell  you  after  all, 
that  I  have  only  used  their  arguments  on  this  subject  ] 

B.  Is  it  possible  ?  I  should  be  very  glad  of  it. 

A.  Well  then  ;  Plato  introduces  Socrates  discoursing  with  Gor- 
gias,  a  famous  rhetorician,  and  Callicles,  one  of  his  disciples.  This 
Gorgias  was  Isocrates'  master  ;  and  (as  Tully  tells  us,)  he  was  the 

lings,  they  do  the  more  certainly  advance  their  general  one  ;  the  better  priests 
they  are,  they  become  also  the  better  Christians.  Every  part  of  their  cal- 
ling;, when,  well  performed,  raises  g-ood  thoughts,  and  brings  good  ideas  into 
their  minds  ;  and  tends  both  to  increase  their  knowledge,  and  qi.iicken  their 
sense  of  divine  matters.  A  priest  then  is  more  accountable  to  God,  and  the 
world,  for  his  deportment,  and  will  be  more  severely  accounted  with,  thau 
any  other  person  whatsoever.  He  is  more  watched  over  and  observed  than  all 
others.  Very  good  men  will  be,  even  to  a  censure,  jealous  of  hitn  ;  very  bad 
men  will  wait  for  his  halting,  and  insult  upon  it ;  and  all  sorts  of  persons 
will  be  willing  to  defend  themselves  against  the  authority  of  his  doctrine  and 
admonitions,  by  this,  he  says,  but  does  not ;  the  world  will  reverse  this  quite, 
and  consider  rather  how  a  clerk  lives,  than  what  he  says.  They  see  the  one  ; 
and  from  it  conclude  what  he  himself  thinks  of  the  other;  and  will  think 
themselves  not  a  little  justified,  if  they  can  say  that  they  did  no  worse  than  they 
saw  their  minister  do  before  them.  Therefore  a  priest  must  not  only  abstain 
from  gross  scandals  ;  but  keep  at  the  farthest  distance  from  them, — such 
diversions  as  his  health  or  the  temper  of  his  mind,  may  render  proper  for  him, 
ought  to  be  manly,  decent,  and  grave  ;  and  such  as  may  neither  possess  his 
mind  or  time  too  much,  nor  give  a  bad  character  of  him  to  his  people.  He  must 
also  avoid  too  much  familiarity  with  bad  people  ;  and  the  squandering  away 
his  time  in  too  much  vain  and  idle  discourse.  His  cheerfulness  ought  to  be 
frank;  but  neither  excessive  nor  licentious.  His  friends  and  his  garden  ought 
to  be  his  chief  diversions;  as  his  study  and  his  parish  ought  to  be  his  chief 
employments.  Bishop  Burnet's  Disc,  of  the  pastoral  care,  ch.  viii. 


32  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

first  man  that  boasted  of  his  being  able  to  talk  eloquently  on  every 
thing  :  in  which  ridiculous  vanity  he  was  afterwards  imitated  by  oth- 
er Greek  declaiiners.  These  two  men,  Gorgias  and  Callicles,  ha- 
rangued plausibly  enough  on  every  subject ;  being  wits  that  shone  in 
conversation,  and  had  no  other  business  but  to  talk  finely.  Howev- 
er, they  wanted,  what*  Socrates  wished  every  man  to  have,  solid  prin- 
ciples of  morality,  and  a  sedate,  just  way  of  reasoning.  Plato  there- 
fore having  shown  what  a  ridiculous  turn  of  mind  these  men  had  ; 
he  represents  Socrates  as  diverting  himself  with  their  folly,  and  face- 
tiously puzzling  the  two  orators  so  much  that  they  could  not  tell  him 
what  eloquence  is.  Then  he  proves  that  rhetoric,  (which  was  the  pro- 
fession of  these  declaimers,)  is  not  truly  an  art :  for,  according  to 
him,  '  an  art  is  a  regular  discipline,  which  teaches  men  to  do  some- 
thing that  will  help  to  make  them  wiser  and  better  than  they  are.' 
So  that  he  allows  of  no  other  arts  but  the  liberal  ones :  and  he  shows 
that  even  these  are  perverted,  when  they  are  applied  to  any  other  end 
besides  training  up  men  to  virtue.  He  proves  that  this  was  not  the 
aim  of  the  rhetoricians  :  that  even  Themistocles  and  Pericles  had 
quite  other  views  ;  and  that  therefore  they  were  not  truly  orators. 
He  says  those  famous  men  only  persuaded  the  Athenians  to  make 
harbours,  and  build  walls,  and  obtain  victories  :  they  only  made  their 
citizens  wealthy,  warlike,  and  powerful  ;  and  were  afterwards  ill 
treated  for  it ;  which  was  really  no  more  than  they  might  have  ex- 
pected. If  they  had  rendered  the  people  good  and  virtuous  by  their 
rhetoric,  they  would  have  been  sure  of  a  just  recompense ;  for,  he 
who  makes  men  upright,  and  good,  cannot  lose  the  reward  of  his  la- 
bour ;  seeing  virtue  and  ingratitude  are  inconsistent.  I  need  not  tell 
you  all  the  arguments  he  uses  to  shew  how  useless  such  false  rhetoric 
is  ;  for,  all  that  I  have  said  hitherto  on  this  point,  in  my  own  name, 
,is  really  taken  from  him.  It  will  be  more  proper  to  represent  to 
you  what  he  says  of  the  evils  that  these  vain  haranguers  occasion  in 
the  republic. 

B.  It  is  evident  that  such  rhetoricians  were  dangerous  in  the  Gre- 
cian commonwealths,  where  they  could  mislead  the  people,  and  usurp 
the  government. 

* — Inventi  sunt  qui,  cum  ipsi  doctrina,  et  ing-tniis  abunf^arent,  are  autem 
civili  et  negfotii?,  animi  quodam  judicio  abhorrtrcnt,  banc  dicendi  exerci- 
tationtm  cxaafitarent,  atque  contemnerent.  Quorum  princeps  Socrates  fuit, 
is  qui  omnium  eruditorum  testimonio,  totiusque  judicio  Grcecim^  cum  pruden- 
tia,  et  acumine,  et  venusiate.  et  subtilitate,  turn  vero  eloquentia,  varietate,  co- 
pia,  quamcumque  in  partem  dedisset,  omnium  fuit  facile  princeps -cujus  iii- 
g'euium  variosque  sermones  inimortalitati  scriptis  suis  Plato  tradidit. 

Cicero  de  Orat.  lib.  i.  }  16. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  33 

A.  That  is  the  chief  danp^er  that  Socrates  apprehended  from 
them.  But  the  principles  he  lays  down,  on  this  occasion,  reach  a 
great  deal  further.  In  fine,  though  you  and  1  speak  now  of  order- 
ing a  commonwealth  ;  our  inquiry  and  conclusions  are  not  applicable 
to  democracy  alone  ;  but  to  every  kind  of  government,  whether  it 
be  strictly  a  republic,  an  aristocracy,  or  a  monarchy.  So  that  the  par- 
ticular form  of  government  does  not  enter  into  the  present  question. 
For  in  all  countries,  the  rules  of  Socrates  are  equally  useful. 

C.  I  wish  you  would  explain  them  to  us. 

A.  He  says,  that  seeing  a  man  is  composed  of  a  mind  and  a  body  ; 
he  ought  to  improve  them  both.  Now  there  are  two  arts  that  concern 
the  mind  ;  and  two  others,  that  relate  to  the  body.  The  two  that 
belong  to  the  mind,  are  moral  philosophy,  and  the  knowledge  of  the 
national  laws.  Under  the  head  of  moral  philosophy  he  comprehends 
the  laws  of  nature  and  nations:  and  all  those  dictates  of  philosophy 
that  are  proper  to  govern  the  inclinations  and  manners  of  the  whole 
republic,  as  well  as  of  every  individual  member  of  it.  He  consider- 
ed the  second  art,  as  a  remedy  that  is  to  be  used  to  suppress  false- 
hood, injustice,  and  the  like  disorders  among  the  citizens ;  for,  by  it 
lawsuits  are  determined  ;  and  crimes  are  punished.  So  that  moral 
philosophy  serves  to  prevent  evil  ;  and  the  knowledge  of  the  laws  and 
constitution,  to  punish  it.  There  are  likewise  two  arts  for  managing 
the  body  ;  the  gymnastic  art,  which  by  due  exercise  and  temperance, 
renders  it  healthy,  active,  vigorous,  and  graceful ;  (for,  you  know,  Sir, 
the  ancients  made  a  wonderful  use  of  this  art ;  which  we  have  now 
quite  lost ;)  and  the  knowledge  of  physic  which  cures  the  body  when 
its  health  is  lost,  or  impaired.  The  gymnastic  art  assists  the  body, 
as  moral  philosophy  doth  the  soul  ;  namely,  to  form  and  improve  it ; 
and  skill  in  medicine  is  helpful  to  the  body,  as  the  knowledge  of  the 
laws  is  to  the  mind  ;  for  correcting  and  curing  disorders.  But  this 
wise  institution  was  altered,  says  Socrates  ;  instead  of  a  solid,  practical 
philosophy,  we  have  only  the  vain  subtility  of  wrangling  sophists  :  a 
set  of  spurious  philosophers,  who  abuse  reason;  and,  having  no  sense 
of  public  good,  aim  only  at  promoting  their  own  selfish  ends.  Instead 
of  attaining  a  thorough  insight  into  the  national  laws,  people  are 
amused  and  misled  by  the  vain-glorious  ostentation  of  these  rhetori- 
cians, who  endeavour  only  to  please  and  dazzle  the  mind  ;  and  instead 
of  recommending  the  knowledge  of  the  public  constitution,  and  the 
administration  of  justice,  (which  being  the  medicine  of  the  soul, 
should  be  applied  to  cure  its  disorderly  passions,)  these  false  orators 
think  of  nothing  but  how  to  spread  their  own  reputation.  And  with 
5 


34  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

regard  to  the  body,  says  Socrates,  the  gymnastic  art  begins  to  be  ex- 
changed for  skill  in  dress  ;  which  gives  the  body  but  false,  deceitful 
ornaments.  Whereas  we  ought  to  desire  only  such  a  natural  come- 
liness as  results  from  health  of  body,  and  due  proportion  of  its  mem- 
bers;  which  must  be  acquired  and  preserved  by  temperance  and  ex- 
ercise. The  proper  and  seasonable  use  of  medicine  is  likewise  laid 
aside,  to  make  room  for  delii  ious  dishes,  and  such  palatable  things  as 
raise  and  ensnare  the  appetite.  And  instead  of  carrying  off  gross 
humours  from  the  body  by  proper  evacuations,  to  restore  its  health  ;  na- 
ture is  clogged  and  overcharged  ;  and  a  false  appetite  is  excited  by 
all  the  various  ways  of  luxury  and  intemperance.  He  farther  ob- 
serves, that  those  orators,  who,  in  order  to  cure  men,  should  have  giv- 
en them  bitter  physic,  and,  with  authority,  have  inculcated  the  most 
disagreeable  truths  ;  have  on  the  contrary  done  for  the  mind,  what 
cooks  do  for  the  body  :  their  rhetoric  is  only  an  art  of  dressing  up 
delicacies  to  gratify  the  corrupted  taste  of  the  people.  All  their 
concern  is  to  please  and  soothe  them,  by  raising  their  curiosity  and 
admiration.  For  these  deciaimers  harangue  only  for  themselves. 
He  concludes  his  remarks  with  asking,  where  are  those  citizens  whom 
the  rhetoricians  have  cured  of  their  vicious  habits  ?  Whom  have 
they  made  sober  and  virtuous  ?  Thus  Socrates  describes  the  gene- 
ral disorders,  and  corruption  of  manners  that  prevailed  in  his  time. 
But  does  he  not  talk*  like  one  of  the  present  age,  who  observes  what 
passes  among  us  ;  and  speaks  of  the  abuses  that  reign  in  our  own 
days  ?  Now  you  have  heard  the  sentiments  of  this  wise  heathen  ;  what 
do  you  say  of  that  eloquence  which  tends  only  to  please,  and  give 
pretty  descriptions  ;  when  (as  he  says)  we  ought  to  cauterize,  and 
cut  to  the  quick  ;  and  earnestly  endeavour  to  cure  people's  minds 
by  the  bitterness  of  remedies,  and  the  severity  of  an  abstemious  diet  ? 
I  appeal  to  your  own  judgement  in  this  case  :  if  you  were  sick,  would 
you  be  pleased  with  a  physician,  who,  in  the  extremity  of  your  ill- 
ness, should  waste  his  time,  and  amuse  you  with  explaining  to  you 
■ome  fine  hypothesis  in  an  elegant  style  ;  instead  of  making  pertinent 

*  The  nrnanit'nts  of  sptakitio-  are  much  dtg^inerated  from  their  oriyinal  use- 
fulness. Thf-y  were  at  first,  no  doubt,  an  admirable  instrument  in  the  hands 
of  wise  men,  when  they  were  only  employed  to  describe  goodness,  honesty, 
obediet'Ce,  in  larger,  fairer,  and  more  moving  images;  to  represent  truth 
clothed  with  bodies  ;  and  to  bring  knowledge  back  again  to  our  very  senses, 
whence  it  was  at  first  derived  to  our  understanding.  But  now  they  are  gen- 
erally changed  to  worse  uses;  they  make  the.  fancy  disgust  the  best  things, 
if  they  rome  sound  and  unadorned  ;  they  are  in  open  defiance  against  reason  ; 
professing  not  to  hold  much  correspondence  with  that ;  but  with  its  slaves, 
the  passions  ;  they  g-ive  the  mind  a  motion  too  changeable  and  bewitchingj 
to  consist  with  right  practice.        Bishop  Sprains  Hut.  of  R.  S.  p.  Ill,  112. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  35 

inquiries  into  the   cause  and  symptoms  of  your  distemper,  and  pre- 
scribing suitable  remedies?     Or,  in  a  trial  at  law,  where   your  estate  \ 
or  your  life  were  at  stake,  what  would  you  think  of  your  lawyer,  if  he    \ 
should  play  the  wit  in  your  defence,  and  fill  his  pleadmg  with   flowers    | 
of  rhetoric  and  quaint   turns,  instead  of  arguing  with  gravity,  strength 
of  reason,  and  earnestness,  to  gain  your  cause  ?     Our  natural  love  of 
life,  and  well-being,  shows  us  plainly   the    absurdity  of  false  oratory, 
and  of  the  unseasonable  ostentation  of  it,  in  such  cases  as  1  have  now 
mentioned :  but  we  are  so  strangely  unconcerned    about  religion,  and 
the  moral  conduct  of  life,  that  we  do    not  observe  the   same   ridicule 
in   careless,  vain-glorious  orators;   who  yet  ought  to  be   the  spiritual 
physicians  and  censors  of  the  people.     Indeed,  the  sentiments  of  Soc- 
rates on   this  subject  ought  to  make  us  ashamed.  " 

S.  I  perceive  clearly  enough,  that,  according  to  your  reasoning, 
orators  ought  to  be  the  defenders  of  the  laws,  and  instructers  of  the 
people,  to  teach  them  true  wisdom  and  virtue.  But  among  the  Ro- 
mans, the   rhetoric  of  the  bar  was  otherwise  employed. 

A.  That  was  certainly  the  end  of  it.  For,  when  orators  had  not 
occasion  to  represent  in  their  discourses  the  general  wants  of  the 
republic,  they  were  obliged  to  protect  innocence,  and  the  rights  of 
particular  persons.  And  it  was  on  this  account  that  their  profes- 
sion was  so  much  honoured ;  and  that  Tully  gives  us  such  a  lofty 
character  of  a  true  orator.* 

B.  Let  us  hear  then  how  orators  ought  to  speak.  I  long  to 
know  your  thoughts  on  this  point ;  seeing  you  deny  the  finical,  florid 
manner  of  Isocrates,  which  is  so  much  admired  and  imitated  by  oth- 
ers. 

A.  Instead  of  giving  you  my  opinion,  I  shall  go  on  to  lay  before 
you  the  rules  that  the  ancients  give  us :  but  1  shall  only  touch  upon 
the  chief  points  ;  for,  I  suppose,  you  do  not  expect  that  I  should  enter 
into  an  endless  !.letail  of  the  precepts  of  rhetoric.  There  are  but  too 
many  useless  ones  ;  which  you  must  have  read  in  those   books  where 


*  Neque  veto  mihi  quidquam  piaestabilius  videtur,  quam  posse  dicendo 
tenere  hominuni  coetus,  meutts  allicere,  voluntatescompellere  quo  velit ;  unde 
autem  velit,  dtducere.  Haec  una  res  in  omui  libero  populo,  naaximeque  ia 
pacatis  trauquiliisque  civitatibus  praecipue  semper  floruit,  semperque  doniinita 
est.  Quid  enim  est  aut  tam  admirabije,  quain  ex  infiuita  multitudine  homi- 
num  existere  unum,  qui  id  quod  orunibus  natura  sit  datum,  vel  solus,  vt  1  cum 
paucis  facere  possit  ? — aut  tam  potens,  tamque  mao^nificum,  quam  populi  mo- 
tus,  judicum  religiones,  senatus  gravitatem,  unius  oralioue  converti  ? — ac  ne 
plura,  quae  sunt  pene  innumerabilia,  consecter,  comprehendam  brevi ;  sic 
enim  slatuo,  perfect!  oratoris  moderatione,  et  sapientia,  non  solum  ipsius  dig- 
nitatem, sed  et  privatorum  plurimorum,  et  universae  reipublicae  salutem  maxi- 
me  coutineri.  Cic.  dc  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  8. 


86  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

they  are  copiously  explained.  It  will  be  enough  if  we  consider  the 
most  important  rules.  Plato  in  his  Phsedrus  shews  us,  that  the  great- 
est fault  of  rhetoricians  is,  their  studying  the  art  of  persuasion,  before 
they  have  learned,  (from  the  principles  of  true  philosophy,)  what  those 
things  are  of  which  they  ought  to  persuade  men.  He  would  have  orators 
'begin  with  the  study  of  mankind  in  general  ;  and  then  apply  themselves 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  particular  genius  and  manners  of  those  whom 
they  may  have  occasion  to  instruct  and  persuade.  So  that  they  ought 
first  of  all  to  know  the  nature  of  man,  his  chief  end  and  his  true  inter- 
est :  the  parts  of  which  he  is  composed,  his  mind,  and  his  body  ;  and 
the  true  way  to  make  him  happy  :  they  ought  likewise  to  understand 
his  passions,  the  disorders  they  are  subject  to,  and  the  art  of  governing 
them  ;  how  they  may  be  usefully  raised  and  employed  on  what  is  truly 
good  ;  and,  in  fine,  the  proper  rules  to  make  him  live  in  peace,  and 
become  entirely  sociable.  After  this  general  study,  comes  that  which 
is  particular. 

Orators  ought  to  know  the  laws  and  customs  of  their  country  ; 
and  how  far  they  are  agreeable  to  the  genius  and  temper  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  what  are  the  manners  of  the  several  ranks  and  conditions  among 
them  ;  their  different  ways  of  education  ;  the  common  prejudices,  and 
separate  interests  that  prevail  in  the  present  age  ;  and  the  most  pro- 
per way  to  instruct  and  reform  the  people.  You  see,  Sir,  this  knowl- 
edge comprehends  all  the  solid  parts  of  philosophy  and  politics.  So 
that  Plato  meant  to  shew  us  that  none  but  a  philosopher  can  be  a  true 
orator.  And  it  is  in  this  sense  we  must  understand  all  he  says  in 
his  Gorgias,  against  the  rhetoricians;  I  mean,  that  set  of  men  who 
made  profession  of  talking  finely  and  persuading  others,  without  en- 
deavouring to  know,  from  solid  philosophy,  what  one  ought  to  teach 
them.  ]n  short,  according  to  Plato,  the  true  art  of  oratory  consists 
in  understanding  those  useful  truths  of  which  we  ought  to  convince 
people  ;  and  the  art  of  moving  their  passions,  in  order  to  persuasion. 
Cicero*  says  almost  the  very  same  things.  He  seems,  at  first,  to  think 
that  an  orator  should  know  every  thing,  because  he  may  have  occa- 
sion to  speak  on  all  sorts  of  subjects  ;  and  (as  Socrates  observed  before 

*  Ac  mea  quidein  si'titoutia,  nemo  poterit  esse  oinui  laudc  ciiniulatus  ora- 
tor, nisi  erit  omnium  reruin  mag'iiarum,  atqiu-  artium  scientium  consecntus. 
Dt  Oral.  lib.  1.  {  6.  Oraforem  plenum  atque  jjerfectum  esse  eum  dicani, 
qui  de  omnibus  rebus  possit  varie  copinseque  dicere.  Ibid,  ^  13.  Vcrum  enim 
oratori  quae  sunt  in  hominum  vita,  quandoquidcm  in  ea  versetur  orator,  atque 
ea  est  ei  subjecta  matcnes,  omnia  quae&ita,  audita,  lecta,  disputata,  tractata, 
agitata  esse  debcnt.  Lib.  iii.  i  14. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  37 

him)*  a  man  can  never  talk  well  on  a  point  of  which  he  is  not  en- 
tirely master.  But  afterwards,  because  of  the  pressing  necessities  and 
shortness  of  life,  Tally  msists  only  upon  those  parts  of  knowledge 
that  he  thinks  the  most  necessary  for  an  orator.  He  would  have  him 
at  least  well  instructed  in  all  that  part  of  philosophy, f  which  relates 
to  the  conduct  and  affairs  of  social  life.  But  above  all  things,  he  would 
have  an  orator|  know  the  frame  of  man,  both  with  regard  to  his  soul, 
and  body,  and  the  natural  tendency  and  force  of  his  passions  ;  be- 
cause the  great  end  of  eloquence  is  to  move  the  secret  springs  of 
them.  He  reckons  the  knowledge^  of  the  laws,  and  constitution,  to 
be  the  foundation  of  all  public  discourses  :  but  he  does  not  think  a 
thorough  insight  into  all  the  particular  cases  and  questions  in  law  to 
be  necessary  ;  because  upon  occasion,  one  may  have  recourse  to 
experienced  lawyers,  whose  peculiar  profession  it  is  to  understand  and 
disentangle  such  intricate  points.  He  thinks,  with  Plato,  that  an 
orator  should  be  a  master||  of  reasoning  ;  and  know  how  to  define,  and 
argue,  and  unravel  the  most  specious  sophisms.  He  says  we  destroy 
eloquence,  if  we  should  separate  it  from  philosophy  :  for  then,  in- 
stead  of  wise  orators,   we  should  have  only  trifling,   injudicious   de- 

*  Etcnira  ex  rerum  co2;nitione  efflorescat,  et  redundet  oportet  oratio  ;  quae 
nisi  subest  res  ab  oratore  percepta,  et  cog'nita,  inanem  qiiandaai  habet  elocu- 
tioiiem,   et  pene    puerilem.  Dt  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  6. 

+  Positum  sit  igitur  in  primis — sine  philosojjhia  non  posse  effici,  quern  qua;- 
rimns  eloquentum — ntc  v<'ro  sine  philosophornm  disciplina,  g'enus,  et  speciem 
cujusque  rei  cernere,  neque  earn  definiendo  explicare,  nee  tiibuere  in  partes 
possumus;  nee  judicare  qua  vera,  quae  falsa  sint ;  neque  cernere  consequentia, 
repug;nantia  videre,  aml^ig-iia  distinguere.  Quid  dicam  de  natura  rerum,  cujus 
cognitio  maofnatn  oiatiouis  suppeditat  eopiam  ?  De  vita,  de  officiis,  de  virtute, 
de  moribus?     Oral.  J  4. 

X  Omues  animorum  motus,  quos  hominum  generi  rerum  natura  tribuit,  pen- 
itus  pernuscendi. — Dt  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  5. — Num  adraoveri  possit  oratio  ad  sensus 
animorum,  atque  motus  vel  inflammandos,  vel  etiam  extinguendos  (quod  unum 
in  oratore  dominatur,)  sine  diligent issima  pervestigatione  earum  omnium  ra- 
tionum  quae  de  naturis  humani  g'eneris,  ac  moribus,  a  philosophis  explican- 
tur. — De  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  14.  Qiiare  hie  locus  de  vita  et  moribus,  totus  est 
oratori  perdiscendus.  Ibid,  i  15. 

i  Bibliothecas  mehercule  omnium  philosophorum  unus  mihi  videtur  duode- 
cim  tabularum  libellus,  si  quis  legum  fontes,  et  capita  viderit,  et  aucloritatis 
pondere,  et  utilitatis  ubertate  superare.  Ac  si  nos,  id  quod  maxime  debet,  nos- 
tra patria  delectat. — Cnjus  primum  nobis  mens,  mos,  disciplina  nota  esse  de- 
bet ;  vel  quia  est  patria,  parens  omnium  nostrum,  vel  quia  tanta  sapientia  fuis- 
se  in  jure  constituendo  putanda  est,  quanta  fuit  in  his  tantis  operibus  imperii 
comparandis.  Dt  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  44. 

II  Nee  vero  dialecticis  modo  sit  instructus,  sed  habeat  omnes  philosophise 
notos,  et  tractates  locos.  Nihil  enim  de  religione,  nihil  de  morte,  nihil  de 
pietate,  nihil  de  caritate  patriae  ;  nihil  de  bonis  rebus,  aut  malis  ;  nihil  de 
virtutibus,  aut  vitiis — nihil,  inquam,  sine  ea  scientia,  quam  dixi,  graviter,  am- 
ple, copiose  dici  et  cxplicari  potest.  Oral,  i  33. 


38  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

clairaers.  He  further  requires  not  only  an  exact  knowledge  of  all  the 
principles  of  ethics  ;  but  likewise  that  the  orator  be  fully  acquainted 
with  antiquity.*  He  recommends  the  careful  perusal  of  the  ancient 
Greek  writers,  especially  the  historians ;  both  for  their  style,  and  for 
the  historical  facts  they  relate.  He  particularly  enjoinst  the  study 
of  the  poets:  because  of  the  great  resemblance  there  is  between  the 
figures  of  poetry,  and  those  of  eloquence.  In  fine,  he  often  declares 
that  an  orator  ought  to  furnish  his  mind  with  a  clear,  comprehensive 
view  of  things,  before  he  attempt  to  speak  in  public.  I  fancy  I  could 
almost  repeat  some  of  his  words  on  this  subject ;  so  often  have  I  read 
them  ;  and  so  strong  an  impression  did  they  make  on  my  thoughts. 
You  will  be  surprised  to  see  how  much  knowledge,  and  how  many| 
qualites  he  requires.  '  An  orator,'  says  he,  'ought  to  have  the  acute- 
ness  of  logicians,  the  knowledge  of  philosophers,  the  style  almost  of 
the  poets,  the  elocution  and  gesture  of  the  finest  actors.'  Consider 
now  how  much  application  is  necessary  to  attain  all  this. 

C.  I  have  observed,  indeed,  on  several  occasions,  that  some  or- 
ators, though  they  have  good  natural  parts,  want  a  fund  of  solid 
knowledge.  Their  heads  seem  unfurnished  ;  and  one  cannot  but  per- 
ceive they  labour  hard  for  matter  to  fill  up  their  discourses.  They 
do  not  seem  to  speak  from  the  abundance  of  their  hearts,  as  if  they 
were  full  of  useful  truths  ;  but  they  talk  as  if  they  were  at  a  loss  for 
the  very  next  thing  they  are  to  say. 

*  Cognoscat  etiam  rerum  gestarum  et  memoriae  veteris  ordiiiem,  maxime 
scilicet  nostrsE  civitatis  ;  sed  et  imperiosorum  populorum  et  regum  illustrium 
— nescire  enim  quid  antea,  quam  riatus  sis,  acciderit,  id  est  semper  esse  pue- 
rum — commemoratio  autem  anliquitatis,  exemplorumque  prolatio  summa  cum 
delectatione,  et  auctoritatem  orationi  affert,  et  fideai.  Oral,  i  34. —  Apud 
Graecos  autem  eloquentissimi  homines  remoti  a  causis  forensibus,  cum  ad  cae- 
teras  res  illustres,  turn  ad  scribendaiu  historiam  maxime  se  applicaverunt. 
Namque  et  Herodotus — et  post  ilium  Thucydides  omnes  dicendi  artificio  mea 
sententia  facile  vicit— denique  etiam  a  philosophia  piofectus  princeps  Xeno- 
phon. — De  Oral.  lib.  ii.  i  13,  14. 

t  Legendi  etiam  poelse,  cognoscenda  historia,  omnium  bonarum  artium 
scriptores. — De  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  34.  Est  enim  finitimus  oratori  poeta,  numeris 
adstrictior  paulo,  verborum  autem  licentia  liberior ;  multis  vero  ornandi  gen- 
eribus  socius  ac  pene  par  ;  in  hoc  quidem  certe  prope  idem,  nullis  ut  termi- 
nis  circumscribat  aut  definiat  jus  suum.  quo  minus  ei  liceat  eadeiu  ilia  facul- 
tate,  et  copia  vagari  qua  velit. — Ibid.  §  16. 

:j:  Non  quaerilur  mobilitas  linguae,  non  celeritas  verborum,  non  denique  ea 
quae  nobis  non  possumus  fingere,  tacits,  vultus,  sonus.  In  oralore  autem  ac- 
umen dialecticorum,  sententiae  philosophorum,  verba  prope  portarum,  memoria 
juris  consultorum,  vox  tragcedorum,  gestus  pcne  summorum  actorum,  est  re- 
quirendus.  Quamobrem  nihil  in  hominum  genere  rarius  perlVcto  oratore  in- 
veniri  potest ;  quae  enim  singulaium  rerum  artifices,  singula  si  mediocriter  adep- 
ti  sunt,  probantur,  ea  nisi  omnia  summa  sunt  in  oratore,  probari  non  possunt. 

Dc  Oral.  lib.  i.  }  28. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  39 

A.  Cicero  takes  notice  of  this  kind  of  people  ;  who  live  always, 
as  it  were,  from  hand  to  mouth,  without  laying  up  any  stock  of  pro- 
vision. But  the  discourses  of  such  declaimers  appear  always  thin  and 
half-starved,  whatever  pains  they  take  about  them.  Though  these  men 
could  afford  three  months  for  studying  a  public  harangue,  such 
particular  preparations,  however  troublesome,  must  needs  be  very 
imperfect;  and  any  judicious  hearer  will  easily  discern  their  defects. 
They  ought  to  have  employed  several  years  in  laying  up  a  plentiful 
store  of  solid  notions;  and  then  after  such  a  general  preparation,  their 
particular  discourses  would  cost  them  but  little  pains.  Whereas,  if  a 
man,  without  this  preparatory  study,  lay  out  all  his  application  upon 
particular  subjects,  he  is  forced  to  put  off  his  hearers  with  florid* 
expressions,  gaudy  metaphors,  and  jingling  antithesis.  He  delivers 
nothing  but  indeterminate  common-place  notions  ;  and  patches  to- 
gether shreds  of  learning  and  rhetoric,  which  any  one  may  see 
were  not  made  one  for  another.  He  never  goes  to  the  bottom  of 
things,  but  stops  in  superficial  remarks,  and  oft  times  in  false  ones. 
He  is  not  able  to  show  truths  in  their  proper  light,  and  full  extent; 
because  all  general  truths  are  necessarily  connected  among  themselves, 
so  that  one  must  understand  almost  all  of  them,  before  he  can  treat 
judiciously  of  any  one. 

C  However,  many  of  our  public  speakers  get  repute  by  those 
slight  attainments  you  so  much  despise. 

A.  It  is  true,  they  are  applauded  by  women  and  the  undiscern- 
ing  multitude,  who  are  easily  dazzled  and  imposed  on  ;  but  this  repute 
is  very  precarious  ;  and  could  not  subsist  long,  if  it  were  not  support- 
ed by  a  cabal  of  acquaintance,  and  the  zeal  or  humour  of  a  party. 
They  who  know  the  true  end  and  rules  of  eloquence!  cannot  hear 
such  empty  vain  haranguers,  without  satiety,  disgust,  and  contempt. 


*  There  are  two  extremes  to  be  avoided  with  the  utmost  care  ;  the  frigid 
style  and  the  boyish.  The  former  renders  a  discourse  dry  and  insipid,  by  a  languor 
and  flatness  of  expression  ;  the  latter  renders  it  ungrateful  and  shocking-,  by  a 
swell  ingloftiness,  and  affected  amplification.  Those  who  use  the  frigid  style, 
employ  pompous  expressions  when  the  subject  requires  plain  ones;  and  they 
who  affect  the  boyish  style,  make  use  of  low  expressions  when  the  matter  re- 
quires the  loftiest.  But  our  language  is  become  so  modest,  so  reserved,  and  so 
scrupulous,  that  the  frigid  style  includes  ail  such  expressions  as  are  too 
strong  or  too  sparkling ;  too  bold  and  hardy  metaphors,  and  frequt- nt  turns  of  wit. 
And  the  boyish  style  comprehends  strokes  of  humour,  and  quaint  conceits  upon 
serious  subjects;  too  loose  and  heavy  repetitions  in  those  pa-ts  ot  a  discourse 
that  ought  to  be  close  and  coucise  ;  too  violent  exaggerations,  and  too  labo- 
rious figures.  Rapin.     Reflexions  sur  i'Elocjuence. 

t  Expression  is  the  dress  of  thought,  and  still 
Appears  more  decent,  as  more  suitable  ; 
A  low  conceit  in  pompous  words  exprest, 
Is  like  a  clown  in  regal  purple  drest. 


./ 


40  DfALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

C*.  It  seems  then  you  would  have  a  man  wait  several  years  before 
he  attempt  to  speak  in  public;  for  the  flower  of  his  age  must  be 
spent  in  attaining  that  vast  fund  of  knowledge,  which  you  reckon 
necessary  to  an  orator ;  and  then  he  must  be  so  far  advanced  in  years, 
that  he  will  have  but  little  time  to  exert  his  talents. 

A.  I  would  have  him  begin  to  exert  them  betimes;  for  I  know  ve- 
ry well  how  great  the  power  of  action  is.  But  under  the  pretence 
of  exercising  his  parts,  I  would  not  have  him  immediately  engage 
himself  in  any  kind  of  employment  that  will  take  off  his  mind  from 
his  studies.  A  youth  may  try  his  skill,  from  time  to  time  ;  but  for 
several  years,  a  careful  perusal  of  the  best  authors  ought  to  be  his 
main  business. 

C.  Your  judicious  observation  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  preacher  I 
am  acquainted  with  ;  who  lives,  as  you  say,  from  hand  to  mouth ; 
and  never  thinks  of  any  subject  till  he  be  obliged  to  treat  of  it ;  and 
then  he  shuts  himself  up  in  his  closet,  turns  over  his  concordance, 
combefix,  and  polyanthea,  his  collections  of  sermons;  and  common- 
place book  of  separate  sentences  and  book  quotations  that  he  has  gath- 
ered together. 

A.  You  cannot  but  perceive,  Sir,  that  this  method  will  never 
make  him  an  able,  judicious  preacher.  In  such  cases,  a  man  cannot 
talk  with  strength  and  clearness ;  he  is  not  sure  of  any  thing  he 
says;  nor  doth  any  thing  flow  easily  from  him.  His  whole  discourse 
has  a  borrowed  air ;  and  looks  like  an  awkward  piece  of  patchwork. 
Certainly  those  are  much  to  be  blamed,  who  are  so  impatietly  fond  of 
showing  their  parts. 

B.  Before  you  leave  us,  Sir,  pray  tell  us  what  you  reckon  the  chief 
effect  of  eloquence. 

A.  Plato  says  an  oration  is  so  far  eloquent  as  it  affects  the  hearer's 
mind.  By  this  rule  you  may  judge  certainly  of  any  discourse  you 
hear  ;  if  a  harangue  leave  you  cold  and  languid  ;  and  only  amuses 
your  mind,  instead  of  enlightening  it ;  if  it  does  not  move  your  heart 
and  passions,  however  florid  and  pompous  it  may  be,  it  is  not  truly 
eloquent.  Tully  approves  of  Plato's  sentiments  on  this  point;  and 
tells  us*  that  the  whole  drift  and  force  of  a  discourse  should  tend  to 


For  diflVrent  styles  with  different  subjects  sort, 
As  several  garbs  with  country,  town,  and  court. 
Some  by  old  words  to  fame  have  made  pretence  ; 
Ancients  in  phrase,  mere  moderns  in  tht;ir  sense  ! 
Such  laboured  nothings,  in  so  strange  a  style, 
Amaze  th'  unlearned,  and  make  the  learned  smile. 


Pope. 


*  Lib.  i.  }  5.  lib.  ii.  i  82. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  41 

move  those  secret  springs  of  action  that  nature  has  placed  in  the 
hearts  of  men.  Would  you  then  consult  your  own  mind  to  know 
whether  those  you  hear  be  truly  eloquent  ?  If  they  make  a  lively  im- 
pression upon  you,  and  gain  your  attention  and  assent  to  what  they 
say  ;  if  they  move  and  animate  your  passions,  so  as  to  raise  you  above 
yourself,*  you  may  be  assured  they  are  true  orators.  But  if  instead 
of  affecting  you  thus,  they  only  please  or  divert  you,  and  make  you 
admire  the  brightness  of  their  thoughts,  or  the  beauty  and  propriety 
of  their  language,  you  may  freely  pronounce  them  to  be  mere  declaim- 
ers. 

B.  Stay  a  little.  Sir,  if  you  please,  till  I  ask  you  a  few  more  ques- 
tions. 

A.  I  wish  I  could  stay  longer,  gentlemen  ;  for  your  conversa- 
tion is  very  engaging ;  but  I  have  an  affair  to  despatch  which  will  not 
admit  of  delay.  Tomorrow  I  will  wait  on  you  again  :  and  then  we 
shall  finish  this  subject  at  our  leisure. 

J3.  Adieu,  then.  Sir,  till  tomorrow. 

*  iS'ee  Longinus,  i  vii. 


SECOND  DIALOGUE. 


JB.  You  are  extremely  kind,  Sir,  in  coming  so  punctually.  Your 
conversation  yesterday  was  su  agreeably  instructive,  that  we  longed 
impatiently  to  hear  you  again  upon  the  same  subject. 

C.  For  my  part,  I  made  what  haste  I  could,  lest  I  should  have 
come  too  late  ;  for  I  was  unwilling  to  loose  any  part  of  your  discourse. 

A.  Such  conferences  are  very  useful,  among  those  who  really  love 
truth,  and  talk  with  temper ;  for  then  they  exchange  their  best 
thoughts,  and  express  them  as  clearly  as  they  can.  As  for  myself, 
gentlemen,  I  find  an  advantage  in  conversing  with  you;  seeing  you 
are  not  displeased  at  the  freedom  I  take. 

B.  Let  us  leave  off  compliments,  Sir;  I  know  best  how  to  judge 
of  myself;  and  I  perceive  clearly  that  without  your  assistance  1  should 
have  continued  in  several  errors.  I  entreat  you,  Sir,  to  go  on,  and 
set  me  entirely  right  in  my  notions  of  eloquence. 

A.  Your  mistakes,  (if  you  will  allow  me  to  call  them  so,)  prevail 
among  most  people  of  worth  and  learning,  who  have  not  examined 
this  matter  to  the  bottom. 

B.  Let  us  lose  no  time  in  preamble  ;  we  shall  have  a  thousand 
things  to  say.  Proceed,  therefore,  Sir,  to  rectify  my  mistakes;  and 
begin  at  the  point  where  we  left  off  yesterday. 

A.  Of  what  point  were  we  talking,  when  we  parted  ?  I  have  re- 
ally forgot. 

C.  You  were  speaking  of  that  kind  of  eloquence  which  consists 
entirely  in  moving  the  passions. 

B.  Yes  ;  but  I  could  not  well  comprehend  that  the  whole  design 
of  rhetoric  is  to  move  the  passions.     Is  that  your  opinion,  Sir  ? 

A.  By  no  means. 

C.  It  seems  then  I  mistook  you  yesterday. 

A.  What  would  you  say  of  a  man,  who  should  persuade  without 
any  proof;  and  affect  his  hearers,  without  enlightening  them  ?  You 
could  not  reckon  him  a  true  orator.  lie  might  seduce  people  by  this 
art  of  persuading  them  to  what  he  would,  without  showing  them  that 
what  he  recommends  is  right.  Such  a  person  must  prove  very  dan- 
gerous in  the  commonwealth  ;  as  we  have  seen  before  from  the  rea- 
soning of  Socrates. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE,  43 

B.  It  is  very  true. 

A.  But  on  the  other  hand,  what  would  you  think  of  a  man,  who 
in  his  public  discourses  should  demonstrate  tiie  truth,  in  a  plain,  dry, 
exact,  methodical  manner  ;  or  make  use  of  the  geometrical  way  of 
reasoning  ;  without  adding  any  thing  to  adorn  or  enliven  his  dis- 
course ?     Would  you  reckon  him  an  orator  1 

jB.  No  ;  I  should  think  him  a  philosopher  only. 

A.  To  make  a  complete  orator  then,  we  must  find  a  philosopher, 
who  knows  both  how  to  demonstrate  any  truth  ;  and  at  the  same 
time,  to  give  his  accurate  reasoning  all  the  natural  beauty  and  vehe- 
mence of  an  agreeable,  moving  discourse,  to  render  it  entirely  elo- 
quent. And  herein  lies  the  difference  between  the  clear,  convincing 
method  of  philosophy,  and  the  affecting,  persuasive  art  of  eloquence. 

C.  What  do  you  say  is  the  difference  ? 

A.  I  say  a  philosopher's  aim  is  merely  to  demonstrate  the  truth, 
and  gain  your  assent ;  while  the  orator  not  only  convinces  your  judge- 
ment, but  commands  your  passions. 

C.  I  do  not  take  your  meaning  exactly,  yet.  When  a  hearer  is 
fully  convinced,  what  is  there  more  to  be  done  ? 

A.  There  is  still  wanting  what  an  orator  would  do  more  than  a 
metaphysician,  in  proving  the  existence  of  God.  The  metaphysician 
would  give  you  a  plain  demonstration  of  it ;  and  stop  at  the  specula- 
tive view  of  that  important  truth.  But  the  orator  would  further  add 
whatever  is  proper  to  excite  the  most  affecting  sentiments  in  your 
mind  ;  and  make  you  love  that  glorious  Being  whose  existence  he 
had  proved.     And  this  is  what  we  call  persuasion. 

C.   Now  I  understand  you  perfectly  well. 

A.  You  see  then  what  reason  Cicero  had  to  say,  that  we  must 
never  separate  philosophy  from  eloquence.  For,  the  art  of  persuading 
without  wisdom  and  previous  instruction,  must  be  pernicious  :  and 
wisdom  alone,  without  the  art  of  persuasion,  can  never  have  a  suf- 
ficient influence  on  the  minds  of  men ;  nor  allure  them  to  the  love 
and  practice  of  virtue.  I  thought  it  proper  to  observe  this  by  the  by, 
to  show  you  how  much  those  of  the  last  age  were  mistaken  in  their 
notions  of  this  matter.  For,  on  the  one  hand,  there  were  some  men 
of  polite  learning,  who  valued  nothing  but  the  purity  of  language, 
and  books  elegantly  written  ;  but  having  no  solid  principles  of  knowl- 
edge with  their  politeness  and  erudition,  they  were  generally  liber- 
tines. On  the  other  hand,  there  were  a  set  of  dry,  formal  scholars, 
who  delivered  their  instructions  in  such  a  perplexed,  dogmatical,  un- 
affecting  manner  as  disgusted   every  body.     Excuse  this  digression. 


44  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

I  return  now  to  the  point ;  and  must  remind  you  that  persuasion  has 
this  advantage  beyond  mere  conviction,  or  demonstration  ;  that  it  not 
only  sets  truth  in  the  fullest  light,  but  represents  it  as  amiable  ;  and 
engages  men  to  love  and  pursue  it.*  The  whole  art  of  eloquence, 
therefore,  consists  in  enforcing  the  clearest  proofs  of  any  truth,  with 
such  powerful  motives  as  may  affect  the  hearers,  and  employ  their 
passions  to  just  and  worthy  ends;  to  raise  their  indignation  at  ingrat- 
itude ;  their  horror  against  cruelty  ;  their  compassion  for  the  misera- 
ble ;  their  love  of  virtue  ;  and  to  direct  every  other  passion  to  its 
proper  objects.  This  is  what  Plato  calls  affecting  the  minds  of  an 
audience,  and   moving  their  bowels.     Do  you  understand  me,  Sir? 

B.  Very  plainly  ;  and  I  see  too  that  eloquence  is  not  a  trifling 
invention  to  amuse  and  dazzle  people  with  pompous  language  ;  but 
that  it  is  a  very  serious  art;  and  serviceable  to  morality. 

A.  It  is  both  a  serious  and  a  difficult  art.  For  which  reason 
TuHy  said  he  had  heard  several  persons  declaim  in  an  elegant,  en- 
gaging manner  ;  but  that  there  were  but  very  few  complete  orators, 
who  knew  how  to  seize  and  captivate  the  heart. 

C.  I  am  not  surprised  at  that ;  for  I  see  but  very  few  who  aim  at 
it:  nay,  I  freely  own  that  Cicero  himself,  who  lays  down  this  rule, 
seems  oftentimes  to  forget  it.  What  do  you  think  of  those  rhetorical 
flowers  with  which  he  embellished  his  harangues  1  They  might 
amuse  the  fancy,  but  could  not  touch  the  heart. 

A.  We  must  distinguish.  Sir,  between  Tully's  orations.  Those 
he  composed  in  his  youth,  (when  he  chiefly  aimed  at  establishing  his 
character,)  have  ofttimes  the  gay  defect  you  speak  of.  He  was  then 
full  of  ambition  ;  and  far  more  concerned  for  his  own  fame,  than  for 
the  justice  of  his  cause.  And  this  will  always  be  the  case  when  peo- 
ple employ  one  to  plead  for  them,  who  regards  their  business  no  far- 
ther than  as  it  gives  him  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing  himself,  and 
of  shining  in  his  profession.  Thus  we  find  that  among  the  Romans, 
their  pleading  at  tlie  bar  was  ofttimes  nothing  else  but  a  pompous 
declamation.     After  all,  we  must  own  that  Tully'st  youthful  and  most 

* — Oinnes  animorum  motus,  quos  honiinum  g'eneri  reriim  natnra  tribuit,  peni- 
tns  pernoscendi  ;  quod  omnis  vis  ratioque  dicendi  in  eorum  qui  audiunt,  menti- 
bus  aut  Sfdaudis,  aut  excilandis,  expiitnrnda  est.  C'ic.  IJc  Oral.  lib.  i.  (>  5. 
Maximaque  pars  oratiouis  aduioveuda  est  ad  animorum  motus  nonnunquam 
aut  cohortatione.  aut  conimemorationc,  aliqua,  aut  in  spem,  aut  in  uietum,  aut 
ad  cupiditateni,  aut  ad  gloriam  coucitandos  ;  sa;pe  etiam  a  temeritate,  iracun- 
dia,  spe,  injuria,  credulitate  revocaudos.  Ibid.  lib.  ii.  ^  82. 

t  Nunc  causa  perorata,  res  ipsa  et  periculi  mag^uitudo,  C.  Aquilli,  coo^ere 
ridetur,  ut  te,  atque  eos,  qui  tibi  in  consilio  sunt,  oljsecret,  obtesteterque  P. 
Quintius  per  sentctutem  ac  solitudineni  siiam,  niliil  aliud,  nisi  ut  vestraj  naturse, 
bouitatique  obsequumini ;  ut,  cum  vtritas  hajc  faciat,  plus  hujus  inopia  possit  ad 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  45 

elaborate  orations  show  a  great  deal  of  his  moving  and  persuasive  art. 
But  to  form  a  just  notion  of  it,  we  must  observe  the  harangues  he 
made  in  his  more  advanced  age,  for  the  necessities  of  the  republic. 
For  then,  the  experience  he  had  in  the  weightiest  affairs,  the  love  of 
liberty,  and  the  fear  of  those  calamities  that  hung  over  his  head,  made 
him  display  the  utmost  efforts  of  his  eloquence.  When  he  endeavour- 
ed to  support  and  revive  expiring  liberty,  and  to  animate  the  com- 
monwealth against  Antony,  his  enemy  ;  you  do  not  see  him  use 
points  of  wit  and  quaint  antithesis  :  he  is  then  truly  eloquent.  Every 
thing  seems  artless,  as  it  ought  to  be  when  one  is  vehement.  With 
a  negligent  air,  he  delivers  the  most  natural  and  affecting  sentiments  ; 
and  says  every  thing  that  can  move  and  animate  the  passions. 

C.  You  have  often  spoke  of  witty  conceits  and  quaint  turns.  Pray 
what  do  you  mean  by  these  expressions  ?  Fur  I  can  scarce  distin- 
guish those  witty  turns  from  the  other  ornaments  of  discourse.  In 
my  opinion,  all  the  embellishments  of  speech  flow  from  wit,  and  a  vig- 
orous fancy. 

A.  But  Tully  thinks,  there  are  many  expressions  that  owe  all  their 
beauty  and  ornament  to  their  force  and  propriety ;  and  to  the  nature 
of  the  subject  they   are   applied  to. 

C.  I  do  not  exactly  understand  these  terms  ;  be  pleased  to  show  me 
in  a  familiar  way,  how  I  may  readily  distinguish  between  a  flash  of  wit, 
(or  quaint  turn,)  and  a  solid  ornament,  or  noble,  delicate  thought.* 

misericordiam  quaoi  illius  opes  ad  crudelitatem — si  quae  pudore  oitiaraentH  sibi 
peperit,  Naevi,  ea  potest  contra  petulantiam,  te  defendente,  obtinere  ;  spes  est  et 
hunc  iniserum  atqiie  irifelicem  aliquatido  tandem  posse  consistere.  Sin  et  pote- 
rit  Maevius  id  quod  libet  ;  et  ei  libebit,  quod  non  licet ;  quid  agendum  est  ? 
Qui  deus  appellandus  est  ?  Cujus  hominus  fides  imploranda  ? — Ah  ipso  [Nae- 
vio]  repudiatus,  ab  amicis  ejus  non  sublevatus  ;  ab  omni  mag'istratu  ag;itatus 
atque  perterritus,  quem  pntter  te  appellet,  [C.  Aqnilli]  habet  neminem  ;  tibi 
se,  tibi  suas  omnes  opes,  fortunasque  commendat  ;  tibi  coinmittit  existimatio- 
nem  ac  spetn  reliquse  vilse.  Mullis  vexatus  contumeliis,  plurimis  jactatus  in- 
juriis  non  furpis  ad  te,  sed  miser  confugit  ;  e  fundo  ornatissimo  dejectus,  igf- 
nominiis  omnibus  appetitus — itaqne  te  hoc  obsecrat,  C.  Aquilli,  ut  quam  exis- 
timationem,  quam  honestateni  injudicium  tuum,  prope  acta  jam  aetate  decur- 
saque  attulit,  earn  liceat  ei  secum  ex  hoc  loco  efferre  ;  ne  is,  de  cujus  officio 
nemo  unquam  dubitavit,  scxagesimo  denique  anno,  dedecore,  macula,  turpis- 
simaque  ignominia  notetur  ;  ne  ornamentis  ejus  omnibus,  Sex.  Naevius  pro 
spoliis  abutatur  ;  ne  per  te  ferat,  quo  minus,  qua;  existimatio  P.  Quintium  us- 
que ad  senectutem  peiduxit,  eadem  usque  ad  rogum  prosequatur. 

Cic.  Orat.  pro  P.  Quintio. 

*  True  wit  is  nature  to  advantage  dressM, 

What  oft  was  thought,  but  ne'er  so  well  expressM  ; 

Something,  whose  truth  convinced  at  sight  we  find, 

That  gives  us  back  the  image  of  our  mind. 

As  shades  more  sweetly  recommend  the  light ; 

So  modest  plainness  sets  o{{  sprightly  wit. 

For  works  may  have  more  wit  than  does  them  good  ; 

As  bodies  perish  through  excess  of  blood. 

Pope's  Essay  on  Criticism. 


46  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

A  Reading  and  observation  will  teach  you  best;  there  are  a  hun« 
drcd  different  sorts  of  witty  conceits. 

C.  Bat  pray,  Sir,  tell  me  at  least  some  general  mark  by  which  I 
may  know  them  ;  is  it  affectation  ? 

A.  Not  every  kind  of  affectation,  but  a  fond  desire  to  please  and 
show  one's  wit. 

C.  This  gives  me  some  little  light  ;  but  I  want  still  some  distin- 
guishing marks  to  direct  my  judgement. 

A.  I  will  give  you  one  then,  which  perhaps  will  satisfy  you.  We 
have  seen  that  eloquence  consists  not  only  in  giving  clear,  convincing 
proofs  ;  but  likewise  in  the  art  of  moving  the  passions.  Now  in  order 
to  move  them,  we  must  be  able  to  paint  them  well  ;  with  their  various 
objects  and  effects.  So  that  I  think  the  whole  art  of  oratory  may  be 
reduced  to  proving,  painting,  and  raising  the  passions.  Now  all  those 
pretty,  sparkling,  quaint  thoughts  that  do  not  tend  to  one  of  these 
ends,  are  only  witty  conceits.* 

C.  What  do  you  mean  by  painting?  1  never  heard  that  term  ap- 
plied to  rhetoric. 

A.  To  paint, t  is  not  only  to  describe  things  ;  but  to  represent 
the  circumstances  of  them,  in  such  a  lively, |  sensible  manner,  that 
the  hearer  shall  fancy  he  almost  sees  them  with  his  eyes.  For  in- 
stance;  if  a  dry  historian  were  to  give  an  account  of  Dido's  death,  he 
would  only  say,  she  was  overwhelmed  with  sorrow  after  the  departure 
of  ^Eneas  ;  and  that  she  grew  weary  of  her  life,  so  went  up  to  the  top 
of  her  palace,  and,  lying  down  on  her  funeral  pile,  she  stabbed  her- 
self Now  these  words  would  inform  you  of  the  fact  ;  but  you  do  not 
see  it.  When  you  read  the  story  in  Virgil,  he  sets  it  before  your  eyes.§ 

*  I  cannot  forbear  warning^  you,  in  the  most  earnest  manner,  against  endeav- 
ouring at  wit  in  your  sprmr>ns,  because,  by  the  strictest  computation,  it  is  very 
near  a  million  to  one  that  you  have  none  ;  and  because  loo  many  of  your  call- 
ing have  consequently  made  themselves  everlastingly  ridic^ulous  by  attempting 
it.  I  remember  several  young  men  in  this  town,  who  could  never  leave  the 
pulpit  under  half  a  dozen  conceits  ;  and  this  faculty  adhered  to  those  gentle- 
men a  longer  or  a  shorter  time,  exactly  in  proportion  to  their  several  (bgrees 
of  dulness;  accordingly,  I  am  told  that  some  of  them  retain  it  to  this  day.  I 
heartily  wish  the  brood  were  at  an  end.  SivifPs  Leller  to  a  Young  Cltrgyman. 
t  See  Longinus,  f  xv. 

1(.  Plus  est  evidentia,  vel  ut  alii  dicunt,  repraesenfatio,  quam  perspicuitas  ; 
ct  illud  quidem  patet ;  haec  se  quodammodo  ostendit — magna  virtus  est,  res 
de  quibus  loquimur,  clare  alque  ut  cerni  videanlur,  enunciare.  Non  enim  sa- 
tis efficit,  neque  ut  debet  plane  dominatur  oratio,  si  usque  ad  aures  volet,  at- 
que  ea  sibi  judex  de  quibus  cognoscit,  narrar?  credit,  non  ex/jrimi,  et  ocitUs 
mentis  o*/finrfJ—atque  hujus  summae,  jndicio  quidem  meo,  virtutis  facillima 
est  via.     Kaluram  intueamur,  banc  sequamur.  Quintil.  lib.  viii.  c.  3. 

*  iEneid,  lib.  iv. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  47 

When  he  represents  all  the  circumstances  of  Dido's  despair;  describes 
her  wild  rage ;  and  death  already  staring  in  her  aspect;  when  he 
makes  her  speak  at  the  sight  of  the  picture  and  sword  that  iEneas 
left,  your  imagination  transports  you  to  Carthage  ;  where  you  see  the 
Trojan  fleet  leaving  the  shore,  and  the  queen  quite  inconsolable. 
You  enter  into  all  her  passions,  and  into  the  sentiments  of  the  suppos- 
ed spectators.  It  is  not  Virgil  you  then  hear  ;  you  are  too  attentive 
to  the  last  words  of  the  unhappy  Dido,  to  think  of  him.  The  poet 
disappears  ;  and  we  see  only  what  he  describes  ;  and  hear  those  only 
whom  he  makes  to  speak.  Such  is  the  force  of  a  natural  imitation, 
and  of  painting  in  language.  Hence  it  comes  that  the  painters  and 
the  poets  are  so  nearly  related  ;  the  one  paints  for  the  eyes;  and  the 
other  for  the  ears  ;  but  both  of  them  ought  to  convey  the  liveliest  pic- 
tures to  people's  imagination.  I  have  taken  an  example  from  a  poet, 
to  give  you  a  livelier  image  of  what  I  mean  by  painting  in  eloquence  : 
for  poets  paint  in  a  stronger  manner  than  orators.  Indeed,  the  main 
thing  in  which  poetry  differs  from  eloquence  is,  that  the  poet  paints 
with  enthusiasm,  and  gives  bolder  touches  than  the  orator.  But  prose 
allows  of  painting  in  a  moderate  degree;  for,  without  lively  descrip- 
tions, it  is  impossible  to  warm  the  hearer's  fancy,  or  to  stir  his  pas- 
sions. A  plain  narrative  does  not  move  people  ;  we  must  not  only  in- 
form them  of  facts  ;  but  strike  their  senses  *  by  a  lively,  moving  rep- 
resentation of  the  manner  and  the  circumstances  of  the  facts  we  re- 
late. 

C.  I  never  reflected  on   this   before.     But   seeing   what    you  call 

painting  is  essential  to  oratory ;  does   it  not  follow  that  there  can   be 
no  true  eloquence,  without  a  due  mixture  of  poetry  ? 

A.  You  are  right:  only  we  must  exclude  versification;  that  is  a 
strict  regard  to  the  quantity  of  syllables,  and  the  order  of  words,  in 
which  the  poet  is  obliged  to  express  his  thoughts,  according  to  the 
measure  or  verse  he  writes  in.  Versification  indeed,  if  it  be  in  rhyme, 
is  what  injudicious  people  reckon  to  be  the  whole  of  poetry.  Some 
fancy  themselves  to  be  poets,  because  they  have  spoken  or  writ  in 
measured  words  ;  but  there  are  many  who  make  verses  without  poe- 
try ;  and  others  are  very  poetical  without  making  verses.t     If  there- 


*  Trjg  St  nt^TOfjiy.rjC  ffaiTanias  xa?.?.if^Tov  act  to  fuiTQuxTov  y.at  iva7.ri9ic.  KaXii- 
rai  utvyau  y.oivvi:  (fuvTunia,TTUv  tvroijua  P.oyou  y eirtjri xov oiTcnovv  TTixninraucvov'  tntwf 
d^  (It  TOi;rtiH'  y.iyjuTiixf  Tovioitu,  orav  a  ?.fy?;c  »'7T0  sr&ovnianiion  xui  ttuSovc  ^XentiV 
Soxiig,  y.ai  vir^  oipiv  Tix9>ic  toic  uxovoimir.  Ti  ovv  »,  o>;Tonixii ipaiTW^ta  Svvurui  :  noX- 
/(/  ^itv  iniic  xixi  u'O.ix  roiq  i.oyoic  fvayimut  xui  '^tiTiu^t]  noonstcKfit'itiv  xaraxiqyautyii 
HfvTot  ruig  TfiiuyuuTiXixig  e7ii)riiQt;atatv,  ov  ntiSn  tov  axQoaTijv  fiovov,  aV.u  xw  dov- 
kuvTai.  Longinus,  i  xv. 

+  The  adventures  of  Telemacliii3,  composed  by  our  ingenious  author,  are 
entirely  written  in  that  poetic  prose  he  here  speaks  of.     M.  Bossu,  the  great- 


48  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

fore  we  set  versifying  aside,  poetry  in  other  respects  is  only  a  lively 
fiction  that  paints  nature.  And  if  one  has  not  this  genius  for  painting, 
he  will  never  be  able  to  imprint  things  on  the  hearer's  mind  :  but  his 
discourse  will  be  flat,  languid,  and  wearisome.  Ever  since  the  fall  of 
Adam,  man's  thoughts  have  been  so  low  and  grovelling,  that  they  are 
inattentive  to  moral  truths ;  and  can  scarce  conceive  any  thing  but 
what  affects  their  senses.  In  this  consists  the  degeneracy  of  human 
nature.  People  grow  soon  weary  of  contemplation  ;  intellectual  ideas 
do  not  strike  their  imagination  ;  so  that  we  must  use  sensible  and 
familiar  images,  to  support  their  attention,  and  convey  abstracted  truths 
to  their  minds.*  Hence  it  came,  that  soon  after  the  fall,  the  re- 
ligion of  all  the  ancients  consisted  of  poetry  and  idolatry  ;  which 
were  always  joined  together  in  their  various  schemes  of  superstition. 
But  let  us  not  wander  too  far — you  see  plainly  that  poetry,  I  mean, 
the  lively  painting  of  things,  is,  as  it  were,  the  very  soul  of  eloquence. 

C.  But  if  true  orators  be  poets,  I  should  think  that  poets  are  ora- 
tors too  ;  for  poetry  is  very  proper   to  persuade. 

A.  Yes ;  they  have  the  very  same  end.  All  the  difference  be- 
tween them  consists  in  what  I  have  told  you.  Orators  are  not  posses- 
sed with  that  enthusiasm,  which  fires  the  poet's  breast,  and  renders 
him  more  lively,  more  sublime,  and  bolder  in  expression.  You  re- 
member the  passage  I  quoted  from  Cicero. 

C.  Which  ?  is  it  not — 

A.  That  an  orator  ought  to  have  the  style  almost  of  a  poet ;  that 
almost  points  out  the  difference  between  them. 

C.  1  understand  you.  But  you  do  not  come  to  the  point  you  pro- 
posed to  explain  to  us. 

A.  Which? 

C.  The  rule  for  distinguishing  between  witty  turns  and  solid  orna- 
ments. 

A.  You  will  soon  comprehend  that.  For  of  what  use  in  discourse 
can  any  ornament  be,  that  does  not  tend  either  to  prove,  to  paint,  or 
to  affect  ? 

est  modern  critic,  does  not  think  that  work  can  be  called  a  poem  ;  but  he 
owns  the  distinction  that  our  author  here  takes  notice  of.  '  There  is  good  rea- 
son, says  he,  to  distinguish  such  artless  composures  (turned  into  verse)  from 
true  poetry,  by  giving  them  the  name  of  versification  ;  and  to  make  of  versifi- 
cation  and  poetry,  as  it  were,  two  different  arts.  And  indeed,  is  there  a  great- 
er difference  between  grammar  and  rhetoric,  than  between  the  art  of  makino- 
verses,  and  that  of  inventing  a  poem  ?'  Traite  du  poemt  epique^  liv,  i.  ch.  5. 
*  Respicere  exemplar  vitae  morumque  jubebo 
Doctum  imitatorem,  et  veras  hinc  ducere  voces. 

Hor.  de  A.  P. 


DIAL06(7ES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  49 

C.  It  may  serve  to  please. 

A.  We  must  distinguish  here  between  such  ornaments  as  only 
please  ;  and  those  that  both  please  and  persuade.  That  which  serves 
to  please  in  order  to  persuade,  is  good  and  solid  :  thus  we  are  pleas- 
ed with  strong  and  clear  arguments.  The  just  and  natural  emotions 
of  an  orator  have  much  grace  and  beauty  in  them  :  and  his  exact  and 
lively  painting  charms  us.  So  that  all  the  necessary  parts  of  eloquence 
are  apt  to  please  ;  but  yet  pleasing  is  not  their  true  aim.  The  ques- 
tion is,  whether  we  shall  approve  such  thoughts  and  expressions  as 
may  perhaps  give  an  amusing  delight;  but  in  other  respects,  are  alto- 
gether useless  :  and  these  I  call  quaint  turns,  and  points  of  wit.  You 
must  remember  now  that  I  allow  all  those  graces  of  style,  and  delicate 
thoughts  that  tend  to  persuasion  :  I  only  reject  those  vain,  affected  or- 
naments that  the  self-conceited  author  uses,  to  paint  his  own  charac- 
ter, and  amuse  others  with  his  wit :  instead  of  filling  their  minds  en- 
tirely with  his  subject.  In  fine;  I  think  we  ought  to  condemn  not 
only  all  jingle  and  playing  with  words,  as  a  thing  extremely  mean  and 
boyish  ;  but  even  all  witty  conceits,  and  fanciful  turns  :  I  mean  such 
thoughts  as  only  flash  and  glitter  upon  the  fancy  ;  but  contain  nothing 
that  is  solid,  and  conducive  to  persuasion. 

C.  I  could  agree  to  that ;  but  that  I  am  afraid  such  severity  would      / 
retrench  the  chief  beauties  of  discourse.  >,^ 

f,  A.  Do  not  you  reckon  Homer  and  Virgil  very  agreeable  authors  ? 
are  they  not  the  most  delicate  you  ever  read  ?  and  yet  in  them  you  do 
not  find  what  we  call  points  of  wit.  Their  poems  are  lull  of  a  noble  I 
simplicity :  their  art  is  entirely  concealed  :*  nature  itself  appears  ia 
all  that  they  say.  We  do  not  find  a  single  word  that  seems  purposely 
designed  to  show  the  poet's  wit.  They  thought  it  their  greatest  glory 
never  to  appear ;  but  to  employ  our  attention  on  the  objec  ts  they  de- 
^ribe  ;  as  a  painter  endeavours  to  set  before  your  eyes  wide  forests, 
piountains,  rivers,  distant  views,  and  buildings  ;  or  the  adventures, 
actions,  and  different  passions  of  men,  in  such  a  lively  manner,  that 
you  cannot  trace  the  masterly  strokes  of  his  pencil :  for  art  looks 
mean  and  coarse  when  it  is  perceived.     Plato,   (who  had  examined 

*  When  first  young  Maro  sung  of  kings  and  wars, 
'Ere  waraing  Phoebus  touched  his>  trembling  ears, 
Perhaps  he  seeni'd  above  the  critic's  law, 
And  but  from  nature's  fountains  scorii'd  to  draw  ; 
But  when  t'  examine  every  part  he  cane, 
J,  J^alure  and  Homtr  -were,  he  found,  the  same. 

>.  Learn  hence  for  ancient  rules  a  just  esteem  ;  , 

To  cppy  natufe  is  to  copy  them.  ,. 

Pope . 

7 


3^  DIALOGUES  rONCERNINO  ELOQUKNCB. 

this  matfer  more  thoroughly  than  any  other  orator,  or  critic,)  assures 
us  that  in 'composing,  the  poet  should  always  keep  out  of  sight,  make 
himself  be  quite  forgot  by  his  readers,  and  represent  only  those  things 
and  persons,  which  he  would  set  before  their  eyes.  You  see  how 
much  the  ancients  excelled  us  in  just  and  lofty  sentiments. 

B.  I  see  the  use  and  necessity  of  painting,  in  eloquence  ;  let  us 
next  know  the  nature  and  use  of  those  affecting  movements  you  spoke 
of. 

A.  They  serve  to  raise  in  the  hearer's  mind  such  emotions  as  an- 
swer the  orator's  purpose. 

C.  But  in  what  do  these  movements  of  an  orator  consist  1 

A.  In  his  words,  and  in  the  actions  of  his  body. 

B.  What  movement  can  there  be  in  words  1 

A.  A  great  deal.  Tully  tells  us,  that  the  very  enemies  of  Grac- 
chus could  not  forbear  weeping  when  he  pronounced  these  words* — 
'Miserable  man  that  I  am  !  Whither  shall  I  turn  myself?  Where  can 
I  go  ?  to  the  Capitol  ?  it  swims  with  my  brother's  blood.  Shall  I  go 
to  my  own  house  ?  there  to  see  my  unhappy  mother  dissolved  in  tears, 
and  oppressed  with  sorrow  V  This  is  moving  language.  But  now 
if  one  were  to  say  the  same  things  in  a  cold  manner,  they  would  lose 
all  their  force. 

B.  Think  you  so? 

A.  Let  us  try.  '  I  know  not  where  to  go.  nor  whither  I  should 
turn  myself,  amidst  my  misfortunes.  The  Capitol  is  the  place  where 
my  brother's  blood  was  shed  :  and  at  home,  I  shall  see  my  unhappy 
mother,  lamenting  her  condition,  with  the  utmost  grief.'  This  is  the 
same  thing  that  was  said  before  :  but  what  has  become  of  that  force 
and  vivacity  we  then  perceived  ?  Where  is  thatf  vehement  manner, 
and  abrupt  language,  which  so  justly  describes  nature  in  the  trans- 
ports of  grief  ?  The  manner  of  saying  a  thing  shews  us  how  it  affects 
the  mind  ;  and  that  is  what  most  effectually  touches  the  hearer.  In 
such  passages,  one  ought  studiously  to  avoid  all  refined,  uncommon 
thoughts  ;  and  even  neglect  connexion  and  order  :  otherwise  the  pas- 
sion described  has  no  appearance  of  truth,  or  nature,  in  it.  Nothing 
is  more  shocking  than  a  passion  expressed  in  beautiful  figures,  pom- 

*  Quid  fuit  in  Graccho,  quetn  tu,  Calule,  melius  meministi,  quod  me  puero 
tantopere  ferretur  ?  quo  me  miser  cojiftram  ?  quo  veiiam  7  in  Capitolimnne  ?  at 
fratris  sanguine  redundat.  Jin  dumum  J  matremne  ut  miseram  lamentantem- 
que  videai.i,  et  abjectam/  quae  sic  ab  illo  ac/a  esse  constabat  oculis,  voce,  gestu, 
inimtci  ut  lachrymas  teuere  iion  possent.  Hfec  eo  dico  pluribus,  quod  genus 
hoc  totuin  oiatorts,  qui  sunt  veritatis  ipsius  adores^  reliqueruut ;  imitatores, 
autem  veritatis  histriones,  occupaverunt.  Cic.  dt  Orat.  lib.  iii.  )  56. 

t  See  Longiaus,  i  xviii. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  51 

pous  language,  and  well  turned  periods.  On  this  head  I  must  recom- 
mend Longinus*  to  you,  who  quotes  many  sublime  examples  from  De- 
mosthenes and  others. 

C  Besides  the  movements  that  attend  an  affecting,  vehement 
style,  you  mentioned  others  that  flow  from  the  orator's  gesture  and  ac- 
tion ;  which  I  must  entreat  you  to  explain. 

A.  I  cannot  pretend  to  give  you  a  complete  system  of  rhetoric. 
It  is  a  task  I  am  not  fit  for.  However  I  shall  give  you  some  remarks 
I  have  made  on  the  point  of  gesture.  We  find  in  Tully  and  Q,uintil- 
ian,t  that  the  action  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans  was  far  more  violent 
than  ours.  They  stamped  on  the  ground  ;  and  even  beat  their  fore- 
head. Tully  mentions  an  orator,  who  in  his  pleading  laid  hold  of  his 
client,  and  tore  open  his  clothes  to  show  the  judges  the  wounds  he 
had  received  in  the  service  of  the  republic.  This  was  a  vehement 
kind  of  action  indeed  ;  but  such  as  is  reserved  for  extraordinary  oc- 
casions ;  and  doth  not  fall  within  the  common  rules  of  gesture.  I 
think  it  is  not  natural  to  be  always  moving  one's  arm  in  talking ;  that 
motionl  is  proper  enough  when  the  orator  is  very  vehement ;  but  he 
ought  not  to  move  his  arm  in  order  to  appear  vehement.  Nay,  there 
are  many  things  that  ought  to  be  pronounced  calmly,  and  without 
any  motion. 

JB.  Would  you  have  a  preacher  for  instance,  use  no  gesture  at  all 
on  some  occasions?    That  would  look  very  strange  indeed. 

A.  I  know  that  most  people  lay  it  down  for  a  rule,  (or  a  custom 
at  least,)  that  a  preacher  should  be  always  in  motion,  whatever  the 
subject  be  that  he  treats  of  But  it  might  be  easily  shown  that  our 
[French]  preachers  usually  have  too  much  gesture,  and  sometimes  too 
little. 

B.  I  wish  you  would  state  this  matter  clearly.  For  I  always  be- 
lieved, from  the  example  of  ***  that  there  are  not  above  two  or  three 
motions  of  the  hands  to  be  used  in  a  whole  sermon. 

A.  Let  us  then  lay  down  some  principle  to  argue  upon.  Now  of 
what  use  is  the  action  of  the  body§  in  speaking  ?  Is  it  not  to  express 
the  sentiments  and  passions  of  the  mind  ? 

*  See  Longinus,  i  xviii,  xix,  xx,  xxi. 

t  Femur  ferire,  quod  Athenis  primus  fecisse  creditur  Clean,  et  usitatum  est, 
et  indignatos  decet,  et  excitat  auditoretn.  [dque  in  Callidio  Cicero  desiderat. 
Jfon  frons,  inquit,  percussa  ?  nonftmur  ?  pedum  nulla  supplosio  ?         ^uinl, 

X  Brachii  moderata  projectio  remissis  humeris,  atque  explicantibus  se  in 
proferenda  manu  digitis,  continues  et  decurrentes  locos  maxime  decet.     Ibid. 

i  Actio  inquam  in  dicendo  una  dominatur  ;  sine  hac  summus  orator  esse  ia 
Dumero  nullo  potest ;  mediocris,  hac  instructus  summos  saepe  superare.  Huic 
primas  dedisse  Demosthenes  dicitur,  quum  rogaretur  quid  in  dicendo  esset  pri- 
mum ;  huic  secundas  ;  huic  tertias.      De  Oral,  lib,  iii.  i  56.     Eat  eniju  actio 


r 


5S  DIALOGUES  dONCEtlNrNe  BLOQUSNCB. 

B.  I  think  so. 

A.  The  motion  of  the  body  then  should  help  to  paint  the  thoughts 
of  the  soul. 

B.  Yes. 

A.  And  that  painting  ought  to  be  exact  and  faithful.*  Every  look 
and  motion  should  in  an  easy,  natural  manner  represent  the  speaker's 
sentiments,  and  the  nature  of  the  things  he  says  ;  but  so  as  to  avoid 
all  mean  and  theatrical  gestures. 

B.  I  think  1  understand  your  notion  exactly.  Let  me  interrupt 
you  th6n  a  little  ;  that  you  may  see  how  far  I  enter  into  the  conse- 
qu°nces  that  flow  from  the  principle  you  laid  down.  Yout  would 
have  an  orator  use  such  a  lively,  natural,  becoming  action,  as  will  help 
to  point  out  distinctly  what  his  words  alone  could  express  only  in  a 
flat  and  languid  manner.  So  that  you  reckon  his  very  action  a  sort  of 
paintintj.^ 

A.  Right.  But  we  must  farther  conclude,  that  to  paint  well,  we 
must  imitate  nature  ;  and  observe  what  she  does  when  she  is  left  to 
herself;  and  is  not  conbtraiued  by  art. 

B.  That  is  plain. 

quasi  sermo  corporis  ;  quo  magis  menti  congrua  esse  debet — atque  in  iis  omni- 
bus quae  sunt  actiotiis,  iuest  quaedam  vis  a  natuia  data  ;  quare  etiam  hac  im- 
perii i,  hac  vulgus,  hac  denique  barbari  maxiine  commoventur — iisdem  epira 
omniuLQ  anitni  inotibus  concitantur,  et  eos  iisdem  nolis,  et  iu  aliis  agnoscunt, 
et  iu  se  ipsi  indicant.      Ibcd.  i  54. 

*  Omnis  enim  motiis  auimi  suum  quendam  a  natura  habet  vultum,  et  so- 
num,  et  gestum  ;  totumque  corpus  boiuinis,  et  ejus  omnis  vultus  omnesque 
voces,  ut  nervi  in  fidibus,  ita  sonant,  ut  a  uiotu  animi  quoque  siut  pulsae, 

Cicero. 

t  Gestus  quantum  habeat  in  oratore  mooienti,  satis  vel  ex  eo  patet  quod 
pleraque  etiam  citra  verba  significat.  Quippe  non  manus  solum,  sed  nutus 
etiam  declarant  nostram  voluntatem  ;  et  in  mutis  pro  sermone  sunt — contra  si 
gestus  ac  vultus  ab  oratione  dissentiat,  tristia,  dicainus  hilares,  affirmemus  ali- 
qua  renuentes,  non  auctoritas  modo  verbis,  sed  etiam  fides  desit. 

Quint,  lib.  xi.  c.  3. 

:j:  Our  preachers  stand  stock  still  in  the  pulpit,  and  will  not  so  much  as  move 
a  finger  to  set  off  the  best  sermons  in  the  world.  Our  words  flow  from  us  in  a 
smooth,  continued  stream,  without  those  strainings  of  the  voice,  motions  of  the 
body,  and  n;ajesty  of  the  hand,  which  are  so  much  celebrated  in  the  orators  of 
Greece  and  flome.  We  can  talk  of  life  and  death  in  cold  blood,  and  keep 
our  temper,  in  a  discourse  which  turns  upon  every  thing  that  is  dear  to  us. 
Though  our  zeal  breaks  out  in  the  finest  tropes  and  figures,  it  is  not  able  to 
stir  a  limb  about  us.  1  have  heard  it  observed  more  than  once,  by  those  who 
have  seen  Italy,  that  an  uutravelled  Englishman  cannot  relish  all  the  beauties 
of  Italian  pictures,  because  the  postures  which  are  expressed  in  them  are  often 
such  as  are  peculiar  to  that  country.  One,  who  has  not  seen  an  Italian 
in  the  pulpit,  will  not  know  what  to  make  of  that  noble  gesture  in  Raphael's 
picture  of  St.  Paul,  preaching  at  Athens,  where  the  apostle  is  represented  as 
lifting  up  both  his  arms,  and  pouring  out  the  thunder  of  his  rhetoric,  amidst  an 
audience  of  pagan  philosophers.     Addison. 


OIALOCUES  CONCGRNINO  CLOOUCNCe.  §9 

A.  Now,  doth  a  man  naturally  use  many  gestures  when  he  says 
common  things,  without  vehemence,  or  the  least  mixture  of  any  sort 
of  passion  ? 

B.  No. 

A.  On  such  common  subjects  then,  we  ought  not  to  use  any  ac- 
tion in  public  discourses  ;  or  at  least  but  little  ;  for  there  we  ought 
always  to  follow  nature  ;*  nay,  there  are  some  occasions  where  an 
orator  might  best  express  his  thoughts  by  silence.  For,  if  being  full 
of  some  great  sentiment,  he  continued  immoveable  for  a  moment ; 
this  surprising  pause  would  keep  the  minds  of  the  audience  in  sus- 
pense, and  express  an  emotion  too  big  for  words  to  utter. 

B.  I  doubt  not  but  such  unexpected  pauses  seasonably  employed, 
would  be  very  significant ;  and  powerfully  affect  the  hearers.  But, 
Sir,  you  seem  to  think  that  one,  who  speaks  in  public,  ought  to  use 
no  other  action  than  what  is  proper  for  ordinary  conversation. 

A.  You  mistake  me,  Sir;  T  think  the  sight  of  a  great  assembly, 
and  the  importance  of  the  subject  an  orator  treats  of,  ought  to  animate 
him  far  more  than  if  he  were  talking  familiarly  with  his  friends.  But 
both  in  private  and  in  public,  he  ought  always  to  act  naturally.  He 
should  use  some  action  when  his  words  are  moving  :  but  when  his 
expressions  are  quite  calm  and  simple,  there  is  no  occasion  to  move 
the  body  ;  except  it  be  in  the  gentlest  manner.  Nothing  appears 
more  shocking  and  absurd,  than  to  see  a  man  very  warm  and  active, 
when  he  is  saying  the  driest,  coldest  things.  Though  he  sweats  him- 
self, he  chills  the  blood  of  his  audience.  Some  time  ago,  I  happened 
to  fall  asleep  at  a  sermon,  as  you  know  one  is  apt  to  do  in  the  after- 
noon :  (and  indeed  in  former  times,  they  preached  but  once  a-day 
after  the  gospel  in  the  morning  service  :)  but  I  soon  waked  and  found 
the  preacher  in  a  very  violent  agitation,  so  that  I  fancied,  at  first,  that 
he  was  pressing  some  important  point  of  morality — 

B.  What  was  the  matter  then  ? 

A.  He  was  only  giving  notice,  that  on  the  Sunday  following  he 
would  preach  upon  repentance.  I  was  extremely  surprised  to  hear 
such  an  indifferent  thing  uttered  with  so  much  vehemence  ;  and  must 
have  laughed  out,  if  the  regard  I  had  for  the  place,  and  some  other 
circumstances  had  not  restrained  me.  The  pronunciation  of  these 
declaimers  is  exactly  like  their  gesture  :  for,  as   their  voice  is  a  per- 

*  Unum  jam  his  adjiciendum  est,  cum  praecipue  in  aclioiie  spectetur  deco- 
rum^ ssepe  aliud  alios  decere.  Est  enim  latens  quaedam  in  hoc  ratio,  et  ine- 
narrabilis :  et  ut  vere  hoc  dictum  est  caput  esse  artis,  decere  quod  facias — 
quare  norit  se  quisque ;  nee  tantum  ex  coramunibus  praeceptis,  sed  etiam  ex 
natura  sua  capiat  consilium  tbrmaudae  actionis.  Quint,  lib.  xi.  c.  3. 


54  DIALOCfUES  CONCERNING  ElOaUBNCE. 

petual  monotony  ;  so  there  is  an  uniformity  in  their  gesture  *  that  is 
no  less  nauseous  and  unnatural ;  and  equally  contrary  to  the  good  ef- 
fect that  one  might  expect  from  decent  action. 

■B.  You  said  that  sometimes  ihey  have  not  action  enouorh. 

A.  We  cannot  wonder  at  that.  For  they  do  not  discern  the 
things  that  require  warmth  and  earnestness.  They  waste  their  spir- 
its in  saying  the  plainest  things ;  and  so  are  forced  to  utter  those 
things  faintly,  which  ought  to  be  delivered  with  a  vehement  action. 
I  must  own  indeed  that  the  French  are  not  very  capable  of  this  vehe- 
mence :  for  they  are  too  airy,  and  do  not  conceive  things  with  suffi- 
cient strength  ;  and  therefore  they  do  not  speak  with  a  proper  energy. 
The  Romans  had  a  wonderful  talent  this  way,  and  the  Greeks  a  great- 
er. The  eastern  nations  excelled  in  it  ;  and  particularly  the  He- 
brews. Nothing  can  equal  the  strength  and  vivacity  of  the  figures 
they  employed  in  their  discourse ;  and  the  very  actions  they  used  to 
express  their  sentiments  ;  such  as  putting  ashes  on  their  heads,  and 
tearing  their  garments,  and  covering  themselves  with  sackloth,  under 
any  deep  distress  and  sorrow  of  mind.  I  do  not  speak  of  what  the 
prophets  did  to  give  a  more  lively  representation  of  the  things  they 
foretold  ;  because  such  figurative  actions  were  the  effect  of  divine  in- 
spiration. But  even  in  other  cases,  we  find  that  those  people  under- 
stood much  better  than  we  do,  how  to  express  their  grief,  and  fear, 
and  other  passions.  And  hence,  no  doubt,  arose  those  surprising 
effects  of  eloquence,  which  we  never  experience  now. 

B.  You  approve  then  of  many  different  gestures,  and  various  in- 
flections of  the  voice  If 

*  In  the  delivering  of  sermons,  a  great  composure  of  grestiire  and  behaviour 
is  necessary  to  give  them  weight  and  authority.  Extremes  are  bad  here,  as  in 
every  thing  else.  Some  affect  a  light  and  flippant  behaviour  ;  and  others  think 
that  wry  faces,  and  a  tone  in  the  voice  will  set  off  the  matter.  Grave  and  com- 
posed looks,  and  a  natural,  but  distinct  pronunciation,  will  always  have  the 
best  effects.  The  great  rule  which  the  masters  of  rhetoric  press  much,  can 
never  be  enough  remembered,  that  to  make  a  man  speak  well,  and  pronounce 
with  a  right  emphasis^  he  ought  thoroughly  to  understand  all  that  he  says ; 
be  fully  persuaded  of  it ;  and  bring  himself  to  have  those  affections,  which  he 
desires  to  infuse  into  others.  He  that  is  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  what  he  says, 
and  has  a  concern  about  it  in  his  mind,  will  pronounce  with  a  natural  vehe- 
mence, that  is  far  more  lively  than  all  the  strains  that  art  can  lead  him  to.  An 
orator,  (if  we  h^  arken  to  them)  must  be  an  honest  man,  and  speak  always  on 
the  side  of  truth  ;  and  study  (o  feel  all  that  he  says  ;  and  then  he  will  speak 
it  so  as  to  make  others  feel  it  likewise.    Discourse  of  the  pastoral  care,  c.  ix. 

+  In  omni  voce,  est  quiddam  medium;  sed  suum  cuique  ;  hinc  gradatim 
adscendere  vocem  utile,  et  suave  est;  (nam  a  principio  clamare  agreste  quid- 
dam  est ;)  et  illud  idem  ad  formandum  est  vocem  salutare  ;  deinde  est  quid- 
dam  contentius  extremum — est  item  contra  quiddam  in  remissione  gravissi- 
mum,  quoque  tamquam  sonorum  gradibus  descenditur.  Haec  varietas,  et  hie 
per  omnes  sonos  vocis  cursus,  et  se  tuebitur,  et  actioni  afferet  suavitatem. 

Cic.  de  Oral,  lib,  iii.  (61. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 


65 


A.  It  is  that  variety,  which  gives  so  much  grace  and  force  to  the 
action  of  an  orator  ;  and  made  Demosthenes  far  excel  all  others.  Tha 
more  easy  and  familiar  that  the  voice  and  action  appear,  when  the 
speaker  only  narrates,  explains  or  instructs,  the  more  apt  he  will  be 
to  surprise  and  move  the  audience  in  those  parts  of  his  discourse, 
where  he  grows  suddenly  vehement,  and  enforces  lofty,  affecting  sen- 
timents, by  a  suitable  energy  of  voice,  and  action.  This  due  pronun- 
ciation* is  a  kind  of  music  ;  whose  beauty  consists  in  the  variety  of 
proper  tones  and  inflections  of  the  voice  which  ought  to  rise  or  fall  with 
a  just  and  easy  cadence,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  things  we  ex- 
press. It  gives  a  light  as  well  as  a  grace  to  language  ;  and  is  the 
very  life  and  spirit  of  discourse. 

J5.  According  to  your  notions  of  elocution,  it  is  an  art  unknown 
to  our  greatest  orators.  The  preacher  that  you  and  1  heard,  about  a 
fortnight  ago,  did  not  observe  your  rule  :  nor  even  seem  to  endeav- 
our it.  Except  the  first  thirty  words  of  his  sermon,  he  spake  always 
in  the  same  tone  :  and  the  only  sign  I  could  perceive  of  his  being  more 
vehement  in  some  parts  of  his  discourse,  than  in  others,  was,  that 
when  he  seemed  earnest,  he  spoke   faster  than  at  other  times. 

A.  To  me,  Sir,  his  voice  seemed  to  have  two  tones  ;  though  they 
were  well  adapted  to  his  words.  You  have  observed  justly  enough  that 
he  did  not  follow  the  rules  of  pronunciation  ;  and  I  believe  he  did  not 
perceive  the  need  of  them.  His  voice  is  naturally  melodious :  and 
though  it  be  ill  managed,  it  is  however  pleasing  enough.  But  you  see 
plainly  that  it  does  not  make  those  strong,  affecting  impressions  on 
the  mind  that  it  would  produce,  if  it  had  such  various  inflections  as 
are  proper  to  express  the  speaker's  sentiments.  Such  preachers  are 
like  fine  clocks,  that  give  a  clear,  full,  soft,  agreeable  sound  ;  but  after 
all  they  are  clocks  only,  of  no  significancy  :  and  having  no  variety  of 
notes,  they  are  incapable  of  harmony  or  eloquence. 

*  Ornataest  pronuntiatio,  cui  suffragatur  vox  facilis,  niag;na,  beata,  flexibi- 
lis,  firma,  dulcis,  durabilis,  clara,  pura,  secans  aera.  auribus  sedt  ns.  Est  enim 
qusedam  ad  auditum  accommodata,  noD  maguitudine  sed  pioprietate,  ad  hoc 
velut  tractabilis  ;  utique  habens  omnes  in  se  qui  desideraatur  sonos  intentio- 
nesque^  et  toto  ut  aiunt  organo  instructa — illud  vero  maximum,  quod  secun- 
dum Totiontm  rtrutn  de  quibus  dicimus,  auimorumque  habitus,  cunformanda 
DOT  est,  ne  ab  oratione  discordet.  V  itemus  igitur  illam  quae  Greece  uoroTonet 
vocatur,  una  quaedam  spiritus  ac  soni  iuttntio  ;  non  solum  ne  dicamus  clamose^ 
quod  insanum  est ;  aut  intra  loquendi  modum,  quod  motu  caret ;  aut  summis- 
8o  murmure,  quo  etiam  debilitatur  omnis  intentio  ;  sed  ut  iu  lisdem  partibus, 
iisdemque  affectibus,  sint  tamen  quaedam  non  ita  magnai  vocis  declinationes^ 
prout  aut  verborum  dignitas,  aut  sententiarum  natura.  aut  de-positio,  aut  jncep- 
tio,  aut  transitus  postulabit ;  ut  qui  singulis  pinxerunt  coloribus.  alia  tamen  em- 
inentiora,  alia  reductiora  fecerunt ;  sine  quo  ae  membris  quidem  suas  lineas 
dedissent,  ^utnt.  lib.  xi.  c.  3. 


56  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

B.  But  were  there  not  many  graces  in  the  rapidity  of  his  dis- 
course ? 

A.  Yes ;  and  I  grant  that  in  some  affecting,  lively  passages,  one 
ought  to  speak  faster  than  usual.  But  it  is  a  great  fault  to  speak  with 
so  much  precipitation  that  one  cannot  stop  himself,  nor  be  distinctly 
understood.  The  voice  and  action  bear  some  resemblance  to  verse. 
Sometimes  we  must  use  such  a  slow,  and  grave  measure  as  is  fit  to 
describe  things  of  that  character  ;  and  sometimes  a  short,  impetuous 
one,  to  express  what  is  quick  and  ardent.  To  use  always  the  same 
degree  of  action,  and  the  same  tone  of  voice,  is  like  prescribing  one 
remedy  for  all  distempers.  But  we  ought  to  excuse  the  uniformity 
of  that  preacher's  voice  and  action.  For,  besides  his  possessing  many 
excellent  qualities,  the  fault  we  complain  of,  is  the  natural  effect  of 
his  style.  We  have  already  agreed  that  the  modulation  of  the  voice 
should  be  exactly  suited  to  the  words.  Now  his  style  is  even,  and 
uniform,  without  the  least  variety.  On  the  one  hand,  it  is  not  famil- 
iar, insinuating,  and  popular ;  and  on  the  other,  it  has  nothing  in  it 
that  is  lively,  figurative,  and  sublime :  but  it  consists  of  a  constant 
flow  of  words,  that  press  one  a^tc  the  other  ;  containing  a  close  and 
well-connected  chain  of  reasoning,  on  clear  ideas.  In  a  word,  he  is 
a  man  that  talks  good  sense  very  correctly.  Nay,  we  must  acknowl- 
edge that  he  has  done  great  service  to  the  pulpit :  he  has  rescued  it 
from  the  servitude  of  vain  declaimers  ;  and  filled  it  himself  with  much 
strength  and  dignity.  He  is  very  capable  of  convincing  people  :  but 
I  know  few  preachers  who  persuade  and  move  them  less  than  he 
doth.  If  you  observe  carefully,  you  will  even  find  that  his  way  of 
preaching  is  not  very  instructive,  for,  besides  his  not  having  a  famil- 
iar, engaging,  pathetic  manner  of  talkirig  (as  1  observed  before,)  his 
discourse  does  not  in  the  least  strike  the  imagination,*  but  is  addres- 
sed to  the  understanding  only.  It  is  a  thread  of  reasoning  that  can- 
not be  comprehended  without  the  closest  attention.    And  seeing  there 

*  The  senses  and  the  imagination  are  fruitful  and  inexhaustible  sources  of 
mistakes  and  delusion  ;  but  the  understanding  or  mind  acting  by  itself,  is  not 
so  subject  to  error ;  we  cannot  always  spt  ak  so  as  to  aifect  the  senses  and 
imagination  of  others ;  nor  ought  we  always  to  endeavour  it.  When  a  subject 
is  abstracted,  we  can  seldom  render  it  atnsiblt  (or  apt  to  strike  the  imagin- 
ation,) without  making  it  obscure  ;  it  is  enough  if  it  be  made  intelligible. 
Nothin"-  can  be  more  unjust  than  the  usual  complaints  of  those,  who  would 
know  every  thing ;  and  yet  will  not  apply  themselves  to  any  thing.  They 
take  it  amiss  when  we  require  their  attention  ;  and  expect  that  we  should  al- 
ways strikt  their  fancy,  and  continually  please  their  stnses,  and  their  passions. 
But  it  is  not  in  our  power  to  gratify  them.  The  authors  of  romances  and  com- 
edies are  obliged  thus  to  please  and  amuse  them  ;  but  as  for  us,  it  is  enough 
if  we  can  instrupt  thpse  who  are  truly  attentive. 

F.  Malbrancht's  Recherche  de  la  verite,  lit,  iii.  c  i. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  S7 

are  but  few  hearers  capable  of  such  a  constant  application  of  mind, 
they  retain  little  or  nothing  of  his  discourse.  It  is  like  a  torrent  that 
hurries  along  at  once,  and  leaves  its  channel  dry.  In  order  to  make 
a  lasting  impression  on  people's  minds,  we  must  support  their  atten- 
tion, by  moving  their  passions  :  for  dry  instructions  can  have  but  lit- 
tle influence.  But  the  thing  that  I  reckon  least  natural  in  this  preach- 
er, is  the  continual  motion  he  gives  his  arms  ;  while  there  ir.  noth- 
ing figurative,  nor  moving  in  his  words.  The  action  used  in  ordi- 
nary conversation,  would  suit  his  style  best :  or  his  impetuous  gesture 
would  require  a  style  full  of  sallies  and  vehemence;  and  even  then  he 
behoved  to  manage  his  warmth  better,  and  render  it  less  uniform.  In 
fine,  I  think  he  is  a  great  man  ;  but  not  an  orator.  A  country  preach-  v 
er,  who  can  alarm  his  hearers,  and  draw  tears  from  them,"'£[Tiswers 
the  end  of  eloquence  better  than  he. 

B.  But  how  shall  we  know  the  particular  gestures,  and  the  inflec- 
tions of  voice  that  are  agreeable  to  nature  1 

A.  I  told  you  before  that  the  whole  art  of  good  orators  consists  in 
observing  what  nature  does  when  unconstrained.  You  ought  not  to 
imitate  those  haranguers  who  choose  always  to  declaim;  but  will  nev- 
er talk  to  their  hearers.  On  the  contrary,  you  should  address  yourself 
to  an  audience  in  such  a  modest,  respectful,  engaging  manner,  that  \ 
each  of  them  shall  think  you  are  speaking  to  him  in  particular.  And 
this  is  the  use  and  advantage  of  natural,  familiar,  insinuating  tones  of 
voice.  They  ought  always  to  be  grave  and  becoming  :  and  even 
strong  and  pathetic,  when  the  subject  requires  it.  But  you  must  not 
fancy,  that  you  can  express  the  passions  by  the  mere  strength  of 
voice  ;  like  those  noisy  speakers,  who  by  bawling  and  tossing  them- 
selves about,  stun  their  hearers  instead  of  affecting  them.  If  we  would 
succeed  in  painting,  and  raising  the  passions,  we  must  know  exactly 
what  movements  they  inspire.  For  instance,  observe  what  is  the  pos- 
ture, and  what  the  voice  of  one,  whose  heart  is  pierced  with  sorrow, 
or  surprised  at  the  sight  of  an  astonishing  object;  remark  the 
natural  action  of  the  eyes ;  what  the  hands  do ;  and  what  the 
whole  body.  On  such  occasions  nature  appears  ;  and  you  need 
only  follow  it ;  if  you  must  employ  art,*  conceal  it  so  well  under 
an  exact  imitation,  that  it  may  pass  for  nature  itself.  But  to  speak 
the  truth,  orators  in  such  cases  are  like  poets,  who  write  elegies  or 
other  passionate  verses ;  they   must  feel  the  passion  they  describe.t 

*  Tors  y«o  i^  Tf /ri]  riP.sioc,    >,vtz'  ay  (pvoig  eitai  Sox>,'   i/  S"  av  (fvoie   sTTtTv/tjc, 
I'lrai  ?.aid UKivnu  nintex't  T'?!'  Tej^vip.  '  Longinus^  i  xxii. 

t  Ut  ridentibus  airident,  ita  flentibus  adsunt 
Humani  vultus.     Si  vis  me  flere,  dolendum  est 

8 


58  DIALOGDES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

else  they  can  never  paint  it  well.  The  greatest  art  imaginable  can 
never  speak  like  true  passion,*  and  undisguised  nature.  So  that  you 
will  always  be  but  an  imperfiect  orator,  if  you  be  not  thoroughly  mov- 
ed with  those  sentiments  that  you  paint,  and  would  infuse  into  others. 
Nor  do  I  say  this  from  a  pious  motive  ;  I  speak  now  only  as  an  ora- 
tor.t 

B.  The  case  I  think  is  abundantly  plain  ;  but  you  spoke  to  us  of 
the  eyes  ;  have  they  their  rhetoric  too  1 

A.  Yes  ;  if  you  will  believe  Tully4'  and  other  ancient  orators. 
Nothing  is  more  intelligible  than  the  aspect ;  it  expresses  every  pas- 
sion of  the  soul.  And  in  the  aspect,  the  eyes  are  most  active  and  sig- 
nificant.    One  well-timed  look  will  pierce  to  the  bottom  of  the  heart.'^ 

B.  The  preacher  we  were  speaking  of,  has  usually  his  eyes  shut. 
When  we  observe  him  near,  it  is  very  shocking.]] 


Pritmim  ipsi  libi- 


-male  si  maiidata  loqueris, 


Aut  dormitabo,  ant  ridebo.     Tristia  moestum 
V'ultum  verba  decent ;   iratum  plena  minarum. 
Format  enini  natura  prius  nos  intus  ad  omnem 
Foitunariim  habitimi ;  juvat,  aut  impellit  ad  iram, 
Aut  ad  humum  moerore  tciavi  deducit,  et  angit  ; 
Post  effert  animi  motus  iaterprete  lingua. 

Hor.  de  Jlr.  Po. 

*  floioofw  ycQ  acpooiaaifiriv  av  ojc  ovStv  ovrmq  oig  to  yivraiov  na&oc  tvS^a  yQri  jne- 
yaJli/yooor,  toa.TtQ  Vvro  uaviug  ritog,  y.ai  nvivuurog  tvdovaiaarixov  txirnuv,  y.ui  oi- 
ovii  tfoi^atov  Tov?  ?.oyovc.  Longinus,  i  viii. 

t  Neque  fitii  potest,  ut  doleat  is  qui  audit,  ut  oderit,  ut  invideat,  ut  perti- 
mescat  aliquid,  nisi  omnes  ii  motus  quos  orator  adhibere  volet  judici,  in  ipso 
oratore  impress!,  at^ue  inusti  videbuntur — ut  enim  nulla  materies  tam  facilis  ad 
exardescendum  est,  quae  nisi  admoto  igni  ignem  concipere  possit  ;  sic  nulla 
mens  est  tam  ad  comprehendendam  vim  oraloris  paiata,  quae  possit  incendi,  ni- 
si inflammatus  ipse  ad  earn  et  ardens  accesseris.       Ctc.  de  Oral.  lib.  ii.  i  45. 

1  Sed  in  ore  sunt  omnia.  In  eo  autem  ipso  dominatus  est  omnis  oculorum— 
animi  enim  est  omnis  actio  ;  et  imag-o  animi  vultus  est,  indices  oculi.  Nam  haec 
est  una  pars  corporis  qute  quot  animi  motus  sunt,  tot  signiticatiorjes,  et  comrau- 
tationes  possit  efHcere — oculi  sunt  quorum  turn  intentione,  tum  remissione,tuin 
conjeclu,  tum  hilaritate  motus  animorum  si»nificemus  apte  cum  genere  ipso 
orationis  ;  est  euim  nctio  quasi  sermo  corporis  ;  quo  magis  menti  congruens  es- 
se debet. — Quare  in  hac  nostra  actions  secundum  vocem  vultus  valet ;  is  au- 
tem oculis  gubernatur.  Cic.  de  Oral.  lib.  iii.  }  59. 

i  PmiUs  and  sadness  display  themselves  partly  at  the  mouth  ;  the  former 
by  raising,  the  latter  by  depressing,  the  corners  of  it ;  and  yet  we  might  in  ma- 
ny cases  mistake  a  laughing  for  a  weeping  countenance,  if  we  did  not  see  the 
eye.  Indeed  this  little  organ,  whether  sparkling  with  joy,  or  melting  in  sor- 
row ;  whether  gleaming  with  indignation,  or  languishing  in  tenderness  ;  wheth- 
er glowing  with  the  steady  light  of  deliberate  valour,  or  sending  forth  emana- 
tions of  good  will  and  gratitude,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  objects  in  the 
whole  visible  universe.  There  is  more  in  it  than  shape,  motion  and  colour ; 
there  is  thought  and  passion ;  there  is  life  and  soul ;  there  is  reason  and 
speech.     Bealfie. 

II  But  the  face  is  the  epitome  of  the  whole  man,  and  the  eyes  are,  as  it  were, 
the  epitome  of  the  face.     No  part  of  the  body,  besides  the  face,  is  capable  of 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  59 

A.  It  is  disagreeable  because  we  perceive  that  he  wants  one  of  the 
chief  things  that  ought  to  enliven  his  discourse. 

B.  But  why  does  he  so  ? 

A.  He  makes  haste  to  pronounce  his  words  ;  and  shuts  his  eyes, 
because  it  helps  his  labouring  memory. 

B.  I  observed  indeed  that  it  was  very  much  burdened  ;  sometimes 
he  repeated  several  words  to  find  out  the  thread  of  his  discourse. 
Such  repetitions  make  one  look  like  a  careless  school  boy  that  has  for- 
got his  lesson.  They  are  very  disagreeable;  and  would  not  be  easily 
excused  in  a  preacher  of  less  note. 

A.  It  is  not  so  much  the  preacher's  fault  as  the  defect  of  the  meth- 
od he  follows  after  many  others.  So  lung  as  men  preach  by  heart, 
and  often,  they  will  be  apt  to  fall  into  this  perplexity. 

B.  How  do  you  mean  ?  Would  you  have  us  not  preach  by  heart  ? 
Without  doing  so,  one  could  nut  make  an  exact,  pithy  discourse. 

A.  1  am  not  against  a  preacher's  getting  some  particular  sermons 
by  heart.  They  may  always  have  time  enough  to  prepare  themselves 
for  extraordinary  occasions.  And  they  might  even  acquit  themselves 
handsomely  without  such  great  preparation. 

B.  How?  This  seems  incredible. 

A.  If  I  be  mistaken,  I  shall  readily  own  it.  Let  us  only  examine 
the  point  without  prepossession.  What  is  the  chief  aim  of  an  orator? 
Is  it  not  to  persuade  ?  And  in  order  to  this,  ought  he  not  to  affect 
his  hearers,  by  moving  their  passions  ? 

B.  I  grant  it. 

.^.  The  most  lively  and  moving  way  of  preaching  is  therefore  the 
best. 

B.  True  ;  what  do  you  conclude  from  that  ? 

A.  Which  of  two  orators  will  have  the  most  powerful  and  affect- 


as  many  chang^es  as  there  are  different  emotions  in  the  mind,  and  of  expressing 
them  all  by  those  changes.  As  the  countenance  admits  of  so  great  variety,  it 
requires  also  great  judgement  to  govern  it.  Not  that  the  form  of  the  face  is  to 
be  shifted  on  every  occasion,  lest  it  turn  to  farce  and  buffoonery  ;  but  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  eyes  have  a  wonderful  power  of  marking  the  emotions  of  the 
mind  ;  sometimes  by  a  steadfast  look,  sometimes  by  a  careless  one — now  by  a 
sudden  regard,  then  by  a  joyful  sparkling,  as  the  sense  of  the  word  is  diversifi- 
ed ;  for  action  is,  as  it  were,  the  speech  of  the  features  and  limbs,  and  must 
therefore  conform  itself  always  to  the  sentiments  of  the  suul.  And  it  may  be 
observed  that  in  all  which  relates  to  the  gesture,  there  is  a  wonderful  force  im- 
planted by  nature  ;  since  the  vulgar,  the  unskilful,  and  even  the  most  barba- 
rous, are  chiefly  afft^cted  by  this.  iNone  are  moved  by  the  sound  ot  words  but 
those  who  understand  the  language  ;  and  the  sense  of  many  things  is  lost  up- 
on men  of  a  dull  apprehension  ;  but  action  is  a  kind  of  universal  tongue  ;  all 
men  are  subject  to  the  same  passions,  and  consequently  know  the  same  marks 
of  them  in  others,  by  which  they  themselves  express  them.     Sfectntor. 


60  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

ing  manner ;  he  who  learns  his  discourse  by  heart ;  or  he  who  speaks 
without  reciting  word  for  word  what  he  had  studied  ? 
B.  He,  I  think,  who  has  got  his  discourse  by  heart. 

A.  Have  patience  ;  and  let  us  state  the  question  right.  On  the 
one  hand,  I  suppose  a  man  prepares  his  discourse  exactly,  and  learns 
it  by  heart  to  the  least  syllable.  On  the  other  hand,  I  suppose  anoth- 
er person,  who  fills  his  mind  with  the  subject  he  is  to  talk  of;  who 
speaks  with  great  ease  ;  (for  you  would  not  have  any  body*  attempt 
to  speak  in  public,  without  having  proper  talents  for  it  :)  in  short,  a 
man  who  has  attentively  considered  all  the  principles,  and  parts  of  the 
subject  he  is  to  handle  ;  and  has  a  comprehensive  view  of  them  in  all 
their  extent ;  who  has  reduced  his  thoughts  into  a  proper  method ; 
and  prepared  the  strongest  expressions  to  explain  and  enforce  them 
in  a  sensible  manner;  who  ranges  all  his  arguments,  and  has  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  affecting  figures  ;  such  a  man  certainly  knows  every 
thing  that  he  ought  to  say ;  and  the  order  in  which  the  whole  should 
be  placed  :t  to  succeed  therefore  in  his  delivery,  he  wants  nothing  but 
those  common  expressions  that  must  make  the  bulk  of  his  discourse. 
But  do  you  believe  now  that  such  a  person  would  have  any  difficulty 
in  finding  easy,  familiar  expressions  ? 

B.  He  could  not  find  such  just  and  handsome  ones  as  he  might 
have  hit  on,  if  he  had  sought  them  leisurely  in  his  closet. 

A.  I  own  that.  But  according  to  you,  he  would  lose  only  a  few 
ornaments ;  and  you  know  how  to  rate  that  loss,  according  to  the 
principles  we  laid  down  before.  On  the  other  side,  what  advantage 
must  he  not  have  in  the  freedom  and  force  of  his  action  ;  which  is 
the  main  thing.     Supposing  that  he  has  applied  himself  much  to  com- 

*  Eg'o  nee  studium  sine  divite  vena, 

Nee  rude  quid  prosit  video  ingenium Hor,  de.  A.  P. 

t  He,  then,  that  would  prepare  himself  to  be  a  preacher  in  this  method,  must 
aecustoni  himself  to  talk  freely  to  himself,  to  let  his  thoughts  flow  from  him  ; 
especially  when  he  feels  an  ed^fe  and  heat  upon  his  mind  ;  for  then  happy  ex- 
pressions will  come  in  his  mouth — he  must  also  be  writing;  essays  upon  all  sorts 
of  subjects  ;  for  by  writing  he  will  bring  himself  to  a  correctness  both  in  think- 
ing and  in  spciaking  ;  and  thus  by  a  hard  practice  for  two  or  three  years,  a  man 
may  render  himself  such  a  master  in  this  way,  that  he  can  never  be  surprised  ; 
nor  will  new  thoughts  ever  dry  up  upon  him.  He  must  talk  over  himself  the 
whole  body  of  divinity  ;  and  accustom  himself  to  explain,  and  prove  ;  to  clear 
objections  ;  and  to  apply  every  part  of  it  to  some  practical  use — and  if  in  these 
his  meditations,  happy  thoughts,  and  noble,  tender  expressions,  do  at  any  time 
offer  themselves  he  must  not  lose  them  ;  but  write  them  down — by  a  very  few 
years'  practice  of  two  or  three  such  soliloquies  a  day.  chiefly  in  the  morning, 
when  the  head  is  clearest,  and  the  spirits  are  liveliest,  a  man  will  contract  a 
great  easiness,  both  in  tliinking  and  speaking. 

Bp,  BurnePs  disc,  on  the  pastoral  care,  p.  210,  211. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE,  61 

posing,  (as  Cicero  requires  of  an  orator,*)  that  he  has  read  all  the 
best  models;  and  has  a  natural  or  acquired  easiness  of  style  and 
speech  ;  that  he  has  abundance  of  solid  knowledge  and  learning  ;  that 
he  understands  his  subject  perfectly  well ;  and  has  ranged  all  the 
parts  and  proofs  of  it  in  his  head  :  in  such  a  case  we  must  conclude 
that  he  will  speak  with  force,  and  order,  and  readiness. f  His  periods 
perhaps  will  not  soothe  the  ear  so  much  as  the  others  ;  and  for  that 
reason  he  must  be  the  better  orator.  His  transitions  may  not  be  so 
fine ;  it  is  no  great  matter  ;  though  these  he  might  have  prepared 
without  getting  them  by  heart ;  besides,  these  little  omissions  were 
common  to  the  most  eloquent  orators  among  the  ancients.  They 
thought  such  negligence  was  very  natural  ;  and  ought  even  to  be  im- 
itated, to  avoid  the  appearance  of  too  great  preparation.  What  then 
could  our  orator  want  ?  He  might  make  some  little  repetition  ;  but 
that  too  must  have  its  use.  Not  only  will  the  judicious  hearer  take 
a  pleasure  in  observing  nature  here,  which  leads  one  often  to  resume 
whatever  view  of  the  subject  strikes  strongest  upon  the  mind  ;  but 
likewise  this  repetition  imprints  the  truth  more  deeply  ;  which  is  the 
best  manner  of  instruction.  At  the  worst,  one  might  find  in  his  dis- 
course some  inaccuracy  of  construction,  some  obsolete  word  that  has 
been  censured  by  the  academy  :  something  that  is  irregular  ;  or,  if 
you  will,  some  weak  or  misapplied  expression,  that  he  may  happen  to 
drop  in  the  warmth  of  action.  But  surely  they  must  have  narrow 
souls,  who  can  think  such  little  escapes  worth  any  one's  notice. 
There  is  abundance  of  these  to  be  met  with  in  the  most  excellent 
originals. I  The  greatest  orators  among  the  ancients  neglected  them  : 
and  if  our  views  were  as  noble  as  theirs,  we  should  not  so  much  re- 
gard those  trifles, §  which  can  amuse  none  but  such  as  are  not  able  to 

*  Caput  autem  est,  quod  (ut  vere  dicam)  minime  facimus,  est  enim  mag-ni 
laboris,  quem  plerique  fugimus  quam  plurioium  scribere — stilus  optimus,  et 
prsestantissimus  dicendi  effector,  ac  magister  ;  neque  injuria  ;  nam  si  subitam 
et  fortuitam  orationem,  commentatio,  et  cogitatio  facile  vincit ;  banc  ipsam 
profecto  assidua  ac  diligens  scriptura  superabit.  De  Orat.  lib.  i.  i  33. 

t  cui  lecta  potenter  erit  res, 

Nee  facundia  deserit  hunc,  nee  lucidus  ordo. 
Verbaque  provisam  rem  non  invita  sequentur. 

Hor,  de  Art.  Pott. 

;}:  Tlafiurid't^iiyoi;  S"  ovx  oP.iya  xat  avroc  uitanrrj^taTa,  y.at  Outjoov,  Xiti  Tiov  a}.Xiav 
offoi  ^ttyiOToi,  xai  i^xiOTCi  Totg  nraiauaaiv  aot^rofitvog,  ouuig  St  ov/  auafnt;uaTa  fiu?.Xov 
avTa  fxovoia  y.ixXuiv,  -i;  TiaQO'muara  di'  aiitXtiav,  ny.ii  nov  xut  wg  sTv/iv  vnoinyixJ.otf- 
viag  avtTttOTajmg  Tiaytvijicyufia.  Longinus^  i  33, 

i  Sunt  delicta  tamen,  quibus  ignovisse  velimus ; 

Nam  neque  chorda  sonum  reddit  quem  vult  mauus  et  mens : 
Poseentique  gravem  persaepe  rcmittit  acutum  ; 
Nee  semper  feriet  quodcunque  minabitur  arcus. 
Verum  ubi  plura  nitent  in  carmine,  noa  ego  paucis 


62  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

discern  and  pursue  what  is  truly  great.  Excuse  my  freedom,  Sir  ;  if 
I  did  not  think  you  had  a  genius  very  different  from  these  litiie,  cav- 
illing critics  I  condemn,  I  should  speak  of  them  with  greater  caution. 
B.  You  may  always  speak  your  mind,  Sir,  without  any  reserve  on 
my  account.     Be  pleased  therefore  to  go  on  with  your  comparison. 

A.  Consider  then,  in  the  next  place,,  the  advantages  that  a  preach- 
er must  have  who  does  not  get  his  sermon  by  heart.  He  is  entirely 
master  of  himself;  he  speaks  in  an  easy,  unaffected  way  ;  and  not 
like  a  formal  declaimer.  Things  flow  then  from  their  proper  source. 
If  he  has  a  natural  talent  for  eloquence,  his  language  must  be  lively 
and  moving  ;  "feven  the  warmth  that  animates  him,*  must  lead  him  to 
such  pertinent  expressions  and  figures,  as  he  could  not  have  found 
out  by  study. 

B.  Why  1  Surely  a  man  may  enliven  his  fancy,  and  compose  very 
sprightly  discourses  in  iiis  closet. 

A.  I  own  that;  but  a  just  elocution  and  gesture  must  still  give 
them  a  greater  life  and  spirit.  Besides,  what  one  says  in  the  ardour 
of  action  is  far  more  natural  and  affecting;  it  has  a  negligent  air; 
and  discovers  none  of  that  art,  which  is  visible  in  all  elaborate  com- 
posures. We  may  add  fartner,  that  a  skilful,  experienced  orator, 
adapts  things  to  the  capacity  of  his  hearers  ;t  and  varies  his  discourse, 
according  to  the  im[)ressiou  he  sees  it  makes  upon  their  minds.  For, 
he  easily  perceives  whether  they  understand  him,  or  not ;  and  wheth- 
er he  gains  their  attention,  and  moves  their  hearts  ;  and  if  it  be  need- 
ful, he  resumes  the  same  things  in  a  different  manner,  and   sets  them 

Offt-ndar  maculis,  quas  aut  iocuria  fudit. 

Aut  humana  paruiii  cavit  naiuia Hor.  de  Art.  Poet. 

*  But  the  rule  I  have  observed  last,  is  the  most  necessary  of  all ;  and  with- 
out it  all  the  rest  will  never  do  the  business :  it  is  this ;  that  a  man  must  have 
in  liimselt  a  deep  sense  of  the  truth  and  power  of  religion  ;  he  must  have  a  life 
and  flame  in  his  thoughts  with  relation  to  these  subjects  ;  he  must  have  felt 
himself  those  things  which  he  intends  to  explain  and  recommend  to  others. 
He  must  observe  narrowly  the  motions  of  his  own  mind  ; — that  so  he  may  have 
a  lively  heat  in  himself  when  he  speaks  of  them  ;  and  that  he  may  speak  in  so 
sensible  a  manner,  that  it  may  be  almost /e//  that  he  speaks  from  his  heart. 
There  is  an  authority  in  the  simplest  things  that  can  be  said,  when  thty  car- 
ry visible  characters  ol  genuineness  in  them.  Now  if  a  man  can  carry  on  this 
method,  and  by  much  meditation  and  prayer,  draw  down  divine  iuduences, 
wiiich  are  always  to  b«  expected  when  a  man  puts  himself  in  the  way  of  them, 
aud  prepares  himself  for  them  ;  he  will  always  feel  that  wki.lt  he  is  musing,  a 
Jirt  IS  kindled  within  him  ;  and  then  he  will  speak  with  authority,  aud  with- 
out constraint;  his  thoughts  will  be  true,  and  his  expressions  free  aud  easy. 

Discourse  of  the  pastoral  care,  p.  Ill,  112. 

+  Erit  igitur  hsec  facultas  in  eo  quem  volumus  esse  eloquenteni,  ut  definire 
rem  possit ;  neque  id  faciat  tam  presse  et  anguste,  quam  in  illis  eruditissimis 
disputationibus  fieri  solit,  std  cum  explaiiatius;  turn  etiam  uberius,  et  ad 
cominuae  judicium,  popularemque  intelhgenliam  accommodatius.  CtcOrat.i  33. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  63 

in  another  light;  he  clothes  them  in  more  familiar  images,  and  com- 
parisons ;  or  he  goes  back  to  the  plainest  principles,  from  which  he 
gradually  deduces  the  truths  he  would  enforce  ;  or  he  endeavours  to 
cure  those  passions,  that  hinder  the  truth  from  making  a  due  impres- 
sion. This  is  the  true  art  of  instruction  and  persuasion  ;  and  without 
this  address  and  presence  of  mind,  we  can  only  make  roving  and 
fruitless  declamations.  Observe  now  how  far  the  orator,  who  gets 
every  thing  by  heart,  falls  short  of  the  other's  success.  If  we  sup- 
pose then  a  man  to  preach,  who  depends  entirely  on  his  memory,  and 
dares  not  pronounce  a  word  different  from  his  lesson  ;  his  style  will 
be  very  exact  ;  but,  as  Dionysius  Halicarnassus  observes  of  Isocra- 
tes,  his  composition  must  please  more  when  it  is  read,  than  when  it  is 
pronounced.  Besides,  let  him  take  what  pains  he  will,  the  inflections 
of  his  voice  will  be  too  uniform;  and  always  a  little  constrained.  He 
is  not  like  a  man  that  speaks  to  an  audience  ;  but  like  a  rhetorician, 
who  recites  or  declaims.  His  action  must  be  awkward  and  forced  ; 
by  fixing  his  eyes  too  much,  he  shows  how  much  his  memory  labours 
in  his  delivery ;  and  he  is  afraid  to  give  way  to  an  unusual  emotion, 
lest  he  should  lose  the  thread  of  his  discourse.  Now  the  hearer  per- 
ceiving such  an  undisguised  art,  is  so  far  from  being  touched  and  cap- 
tivated, as  he  ought  to  be,  that  he  observes  the  speaker's  artifice  with 
coldness  and  neglect. 

B.  But  did  not  the  ancient  orators  do  what  you  condemn  ? 

A.  I  believe  not. 

B.  What !  do  you  think  that  Demosthenes  and  Tully  did  not 
learn  by  heart  those  finished  orations  they  have  left  us  ? 

A.  We  know  very  well  that  they  composed  and  wrote  their  ha- 
rangues, before  they  spake  in  public  ;  but  we  have  several  reasons  to 
believe  that  they  did  not  get  them  by  heart,  word  for  word.  Even 
the  orations  of  Demosthenes,  as  we  have  them,  shew  rather  the  sub- 
limity and  vehemence  of  a  great  genius,  that  was  accustomed  to 
speak  powerfully  of  public  affairs  ;  than  the  accuracy  and  politeness 
of  an  author.  As  for  Cicero,  in  several  places  of  his  harangues,  we 
find  things  spoken  on  sudden  emergencies,  that  he  could  not  possibly 
have  foreseen.  And  if  we  take  his  opinion  of  this  matter  ;*  he  thinks 
an  orator  ought  to  have  a  great  memory  ;  and  he  even  speaks  of  an 

*  Sed  verborum  memoria,  quae  minus  est  nobis  necessaria,  majore  imaginum 
varietate  disting^uitur  ;  multa  enim  sunt  verba.  Quae  quasi  articuli  conntctunt 
memftm  oratonis,  quae  formari  similitudine  nulla  possunt  ;  torum  finarendcE  no- 
bis sunt  Muairme*,  quibus  semper  utamur.  Rerum  memoria,  propria  est  orato- 
ris ;  earn  singulis  personis  bene  positis  notare  possumns,  ut  senttnlias  imagi- 
nibus,  ordinem  locis  comprehendamus,  Z)e  Oral,  lib.  ii.  {  88. 


64  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

artificial  kind  of  memory  as  an  useful  invention  ;  but  all  lie  says  on 
this  point  does  not  imply  that  we  ought  to  learn  every  word  by  heart. 
On  the  contrary,  he  seems  only  to  require,  that  we  should  range  all 
the  parts  of  a  discourse  exactly  in  our  memory,  and  prepare  the  fig- 
ures and  chief  expressions  we  are  to  use  ;  so  as  to  be  ready  to  add, 
off-hand,  whatever  may  occasionally  be  suggested  from  a  view  of  the 
audience,  or  unexpected  accidents.  And  it  is  for  this  reason,  that  he 
requires  so  much  application  and  presence  of  mind  in  an  orator. 

B.  You  must  allow  me  to  tell  you,  Sir,  that  all  this  does  not  con- 
vince me  ;  for  I  cannot  believe  that  one  can  speak  so  very  well,  with- 
out having  prepared  and  adjusted  all  his  expressions. 

C.  The  reason  why  it  is  so  hard  to  persuade  you  in  this  case,  is, 
because  you  judge  of  the  matter  by  common  experience.  If  they, 
who  get  their  sermons  by  heart,  were  to  preach  without  that  prepara- 
tion, it  is  likely  they  would  succeed  but  very  ill  ;  nor  am  I  surprised 
at  it ;  for  they  are  not  accustomed  to  follow  nature  :  they  have  stud- 
ied only  to  compose  their  sermons  :  and  that  too  with  affectation. 
They  have  never  once  thought  of  speaking  in  a  noble,  strong  and 
natural  manner.*  Indeed,  the  greatest  part  of  preachers  have  not  a 
sufficient  fund  of  solid  knowledge  to  depend  on,  and  are  therefore 
afraid  to  trust  themselves,  without  the  usual  preparation.  The  method 
of  getting  sermons  by  heart,  qualifies  many,  who  have  but  very  scanty 
and  superficial  parts,  to  make  a  tolerable  figure  in  the  pulpit ;  seeing 
they  need  only  lay  together  a  certain  number  of  passages  and  remarks  : 
and  however  little  genius  or  assistance  a  man  has,  he  may,  with  time 
and  application,  be  able  to  work  up  and  polish  his  matter  into  some 
form.     But  to  preach  with  judgement  and  strength,  requires  an  atten- 

*  This  leads  me  to  consider  the  difference  that  is  between  the  reading,  and 
the  speaking  of  sermons.  Reading-  is  peculiar  to  this  nation  ;  and  is  endured 
in  no  other.  It  has  indeed  made  our  sermons  more  exact ;  and  so  has  produ- 
ced to  us  many  volumes  of  the  best  that  are  extant.  But  after  all,  though  some 
few  read  so  happily,  pronounce  so  truly,  and  enter  so  entirely  into  those  affec- 
tions which  they  recommend ;  that  in  them,  we  see  both  the  correctness  of  read- 
ing, and  the  seriousness  of  speaking  sermons ;  yet  every  one  is  not  so  happy. 
Some  by  hanging  their  head  perpetually  over  their  notes,  by  blundering  as 
they  read  ;  and  by  a  cursory  running  over  them,  do  so  lessen  the  matter  of 
their  sermons,  that  as  they  are  generally  read  with  very  little  life  or  affection, 
so  they  are  heard  with  as  little  regard,  or  esteem.  Those  who  read,  ought, 
certainly  to  be  at  a  little  more  pains,  than,  for  the  most  part,  they  are  to  read 
true  ;  to  prononnce  with  an  emphasis ;  to  raise  their  head,  and  to  direct  their 
eyes  to  their  hearers  ;  and  if  they  practised  more,  alone,  the  just  way  of  read- 
ing, they  might  deliver  their  sermons  with  much  more  advantage.  Man  is  a 
low  sort  of  creature  ;  he  does  not,  nay,  the  greater  part,  cannot  consider 
things  in  themselves,  without  those  little  seasonings  that  must  recommend  them 
to  their  affections. — Besides,  the  people,  who  are  too  apt  to  censure  the  cler- 
gy, are  always  carried  into  an  obvious  reflection  on  reading,  that  it  is  an  effect 
of  laziness.  Discourse  of  tht  pastoral  care,  ch.  ix. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  65 

live  meditation  upon  the  first  principles  of  religion  ;  an  exact  knowl- 
edge of  morality  ;  an  insiprht  into  antiquity  ;  strength  of  reasoning  ; 
and  suitable  action.  Is  not  this,  Sir,  what  you  require  in  an  orator, 
who  does  not  learn  his  discourse  by  heart  1* 


*  It  may  be  proper  to  present  the  reader,  in  one  view,  the  opinion  of  sever- 
al other  distin?inshed  authors,  on  the  use  of  written  discourses  in  the  pulpit. 
"  I  know  a  clerjfyrnan  of  souii-  distinction,  who  appear'-d  to  deliver  his  sermon 
without  looking-  into  his  notes,  which,  when  I  complimented  him  upon,  he  as- 
sured me  he  could  not  repeat  six  lines  ;  but  his  method  was  to  write  the  whole 
sermon  in  a  larg^e,  plain  hand,  with  all  the  forms  of  margin,  paragraph,  marked 
page,  and  the  like;  then  on  Sunday  morning  he  took  care  to  run  it  over  five 
or  six  times,  which  he  could  do  in  an  hour  ;  and  when  he  delivered  it,  by  pre- 
tending to  turn  his  face  from  one  side  to  the  other,  he  would  (in  his  own 
expression)  pick  up  the  lines,  and  ch'at  his  people  by  making  them  believe  he 
had  it  all  by  heart.  He  farther  added,  that  whenever  he  happened  by  neglect 
to  omit  any  of  these  circumstances,  the  vogue  of  the  parish  was,  >•  our  doctor 
gave  us  but  an  indifferent  sermon  to-day.'  Now  among  us,  many  clergymea 
act  so  directly  contrary  to  this  method,  that  from  a  habit  of  saving  time  and 
paper,  which  they  acquired  at  the  university,  they  write  in  so  diminutive  a  man- 
ner, with  such  frequent  blots  and  interlineations,  that  they  are  hardly  able  to 
go  on  without  perpetual  hesitations,  or  extemporary  expletives  ;  and  I  desire  to 
know  what  can  be  more  inexcusable,  than  to  see  a  flivine  and  a  scholar  at  a  loss 
in  reading  his  own  compositions,  which  it  is  supposed  he  has  been  preparing  with 
much  pains  and  thought,  tor  the  instruction  of  his  people?  The  want  of  a  little 
more  care  in  this  article,  is  the  cause  of  much  ungraceful  behaviour.  You  will 
observe  some  clergymen  with  their  heads  held  down  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end,  within  an  inch  of  the  cushion,  to  read  what  is  hardly  legible  ;  which,  be- 
side the  untoward  manner,  hinders  them  from  making  the  best  advantage  of 
their  voice  ;  others  again  have  a  tiick  of  popping  up  and  down  every  moment 
from  their  paper  to  the  audience,  like  an  idle  school  boy  on  a  repetition  day. 

Let  me  entreat  you  therefore  to  add  one  half  crown  a  year  to  the  article  of 
paper ;  to  transcribe  your  sermons  in  as  large  and  plain  a  manner  as  you  can ; 
and  either  make  no  interlineations,  or  change  the  whole  leaf ;  for  we,  your 
hearers,  would  rather  you  should  be  less  correct,  than  perpetually  stammering, 
"which  I  take  to  be  one  of  the  worst  solecisms  in  rhetoric.  And  lastly,  read 
your  sermon  once  or  twice  a  day  for  a  few  days  before  you  preach  it ;  to  which 
you  will  probably  answer  some  years  hence,  'that  it  was  but  just  finished  when 
the  last  bell  rang  to  church  ;'  and  1  shall  readily  believe,  but  not  jxcuse  you." 

SuiJVs  Letter  to  a  Young  Clergyman. 
''  That  a  discourse  well  spoken  hath  a  stronger  effect  than  one  well  read, 
will  hardly  bear  a  question.  From  this  manifest  truth  I  very  early  concluded, 
and  was  long  of  the  opinion,  that  the  way  of  reading  sermons  should  be  abso- 
lutely banished  from  the  pulpit.  But  from  farther  experience,  I  am  now  dis- 
posed to  suspect,  that  this  conclusion  was  rather  hasty.  As  to  my  personal 
experience  I  shall  frankly  tell  you,  what  1  know  to  be  a  fact.  I  have  tried 
both  ways ;  I  continued  long  in  the  practice  of  repeating,  and  was  even 
thought  (if  people  did  not  very  much  deceive  me)  to  succeed  in  it ;  but  I 
am  absolutely  certain,  that  I  can  give  more  energy,  and  preserve  the  attention 
of  the  hearers  better,  to  what  I  read,  than  ever  it  was  in  my  power  to  do  to  what 
I  repeated.  Nor  is  it  any  wonder.  There  are  diflSculties  to  be  surmounted  in 
the  latter  case,  which  have  no  place  at  all  in  the  former.  The  talents  in  oth- 
er respects  are  the  same,  that  fit  one  to  excel  in  either  way.  Now  as  it  will, 
I  believe,  be  admitted  by  every  body  who  reflects,  that  a  discourse  wtll  read  is 
much  better  than  one  ill  spoken,  I  should  not  think  it  prudent  to  establish  any 
general  rule,  which  would  probably  make  bad  speakers  of  many,  who  might 
otherwise  have  proved  grood  rraders.  There  is  something  in  charging  one's 
memory  with  a  long  chain  of  words  and  syllables,  and  this  is  one  of  the  diffi- 

9 


OD  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOaUENCB. 

A.  You  have  explained  my  thoughts  exactly.  Only  it  may  not 
he  improper  to  add,  that  though  a  man  should   not  possess  all  these 

cullies  I  hinted  at,  and  then  running  on,  as  it  were,  mechanically  in  the  same 
train,  the  precediii;;  word  as?ocialin°:  and  drawinj^  in  the  subsequent,  that 
seems  by  taUing^  off  a  man's  attention  from  the  thou?^ht  to  the  expression,  to 
render  him  insusceptible  of  the  delicate  sensibility  as  to  the  thought,  which  is 
the  true  spring  of  rhetorical  pronunciation.  That  this  is  not  invariably  the  ef- 
fect of  getting'  by  hi  art,  the  success  of  sonse  actors  on  the  stage  is  an  undeni- 
able proof.  Rut  the  compaiative  facility,  arising  from  the  much  greater  brev- 
ity of  their  speeches,  and  from  the  relit!  and  emotion  that  is  given  to  the  jilay- 
er  by  the  action  of  the  other  oialogists  in  the  scene,  makes  the  greatest  differ- 
ence imaginable  in  the  two  cases.  A  man,  thrnugh  habit,  becomes  so  perfectly 
master  ot  a  speech  of  thirty  or  forty  lines,  which  will  not  take  him  three  min- 
utes to  repeat,  that  he  hath  no  anxiety  about  recollecting  the  words  ;  his  whole 
attention  is  to  the  sentiment.  'I'he  case  must  be  very  different,  when  the 
memory  is  cltarged  with  a  discourse,  which  will  take  thirty  minutes  to  deliver. 

'■'■  Now  when  once  the  attention,  as  was  hinted  already,  loses  hold  of  the 
thought,  and  is  wholly  occupied  in  tracing  the  series  of  the  words,  the  speaker 
insensibly,  to  relieve  himself  from  the  difficulty  of  keeping  up  his  voice  at  the 
same  stretch,  fails  into  a  kind  of  tune,  wliich,  without  any  regard  to  the  sense 
of  what  is  said,  returns  as  regularly,  as  if  it  were  played  on  an  instrument. 
One  thing  further  may  b.-  urged  in  favour  of  reading,  and  it  is  of  some  conse- 
quence, that  it  always  requires  some  preparation.  A  discourse  must  be  writ- 
ten before  it  can  be  read  When  a  man  who  does  not  read,  gets  over,  through 
custom,  all  apprehension  about  the  opinion  of  his  hearers,  or  respect  for  their 
judgement,  there  is  some  danger,  that  laziness  may  prompt  him  to  speak  with- 
out any  preparation,  and  consequently  to  become  careless  wliat  he  says. 
But  to  return,  the  sum  of  what  has  been  offi  red,  is  not  that  reading  a  discourse 
is  univ(  rsally  preferable  to  repeating  it.  By  no  means.  But  only  that  if  the 
latter  way  admits  of  higher  excellence,  the  former  is  more  attainable  and  less 
hazardous."  CumpbcWs  Lectures  on  Pulpit  Eloquence. 

"  And  here  it  may  not.  perhaps,  be  improper  to  make  a  few  remaiks  on 
the  expediency  of  pronouncing  sermons  from  memory;  and  I  make  them  the 
more  willingly,  because  what  I  have  to  say  on  this  head,  may  be  comfortable  to 
those  young  men,  whose  memory,  like  my  own,  inclines  rather  to  weakness, 
than  to  strength. 

"  First,  then,  it  ran  admit  of  no  doubt,  that  every  public  speaker  and  teach- 
er ought  to  be  able  to  speak  from  men\ory,  or  even  without  premeditation,  as 
the  circumstances  may  require  ;  and  shouifl,  therefore,  now  and  then  practise 
extemporary  spi  aking,  and  study  to  acquire  a  readiness  of  apprehension  and  a 
command  of  words,  and  take  every  prudent  method  he  can  think  of,  for  im- 
proving remembrance. 

"•  Secondly,  They  whose  faculties  are  uncommonly  susceptible  ;  who  caa 
retain  a  sermon  after  once  or  twice  reading  it ;  or  who,  like  the  gentleman 
abovementioned,  can  commit  one  to  memory  in  two  or  three  hours,  niay,  at  all 
times,  or  as  often  as  they  choose,  preach  without  notes  ;  esj5ecially,if  they  have 
confidence  in  thi  ir  recolhction,  and  can  divest  themselves  of  anxiety.  But 
many  men  there  are,  of  good  ):arts,  who,  from  natuial  bash  fulness,  or  from  bo- 
dily weakness,  or  from  havin?  betn  in  danger  of  exposing  themselves  through  a 
sudden  failure  of  memory,  cannot  depend  on  theii  presence  of  mind,  or  quick- 
ness of  recollection,  when  they  appear  in  public  ;  though  in  the  ordinary  affairs 
of  life,  they  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  this  faculty.  Such  persons  ought 
not  to  preach  without  papers.  If  they  do,  it  will  he  injurious  both  to  them- 
selves, and  to  their  hearers.  To  themselves,  by  tormenting  them  with  solici- 
tude, to  the  great  prejudice  of  th<ir  health.  And  to  their  hearers,  because  the 
fear  of  forgettin?  wi'l  lake  off  their  atteidion  from  the  manasreuient  of  their 
Toice  ;  the  consequence  whereof  is,  that  thiy  will  speak  without  that  energy 
which  impresses  the  meaning  on  the  audience  ;  and  may,  moreover,  contract 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  67 

qualities  in  a  remarkable  degree,  lie  may  yet  preach  very  well,  if  he 
has  d  solid  judgement,  a  tolerable  stock   of  knowledge,  and   an   easy 

bar!  habits  of  diawling-.  cautiug;,  hesitatin*.  or  quick  speaking;  ;  which  are  all 
disagreeable  to  rational  h  arers,  and  make  every  htarer  iiiatteutive  ;  and  the 
most  eloquent  sermon  iusipid. 

"  Thirdly,  Those  preachers  who,  after  much  practice,  cannot  commit  a  dis- 
course to  memory  in  less  than  two  days,  (^andthis,  I  believe,  is  a  cominon  case,) 
should  never  in  my  opinion,  attempt  it;  except,  perhaps,  on  extraordinary  oc- 
casions, when  they  may  be  oblig;ed  to  speak  with  ease  ajid  elegance,  atid  yet 
have  no  opportunity  ot  reading.  Two  days  every  week  are  almost  a  third  part 
of  human  life.  And  when  one  considers,  that  tiie  sermons  thus  committed  to 
memory  are  forgotten  as  soon  as  delivered,  which  is  also  a  common  case,  who 
would  not  regret  such  a  waste  of  time?  At  this  rate,  of  thirty  years  employed 
in  the  ministry,  there  are  almost  ten  consumed — in  what?  in  drudgery  more 
laborious,  and  far  more  unprofitable,  than  that  of  a  schoolboy;  in  loading  the 
memory  with  words,  which  are  not  remembered  for  three  days  together.  Would 
not  the  preacher  have  laid  out  those  years  to  better  purpose,  in  giving  correct- 
ness to  his  public  discourses,  or  in  other  improving  studies  ;  or  in  visiting  and 
instructing  the  neighbours  ;  or  in  agriculture,  ai:d  the  like  liberal  amusements  ? 
Besides,  in  these  circumstances,  a  clergyman  can  never  preach  without  long 
preparation  ;  nor,  it  at  any  time  his  health  should  fail,  without  a  degree  of  anx- 
iety that  may  be  detrimental  to  both  his  mind  and  his  body. 

"  Indfcd,  were  sermons,  that  are  pronounced  from  memory,  found  to  have  a 
more  powerlul  effect  upon  the  hfarer,  than  such  as  are  read,  1  should  not  think 
this  time  altogether  lost.  But,  if  the  preacher  have  learned  to  read  well,  which 
he  may,  and  ought  to  do,  and  if  he  write  what  he  has  to  say  with  that  distinct- 
ness which  is  here  recommended,  and  prepare  himself  for  the  public  exhibition 
by  several  private  rehearsals  at  home,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  tv.at  he  wiil  pro- 
nounce with  more  composure  and  self-command,  and  with  an  energy  more  be- 
coming the  pulpit,  than  if  he  were  to  speak  from  recollection.  For  in  the  one 
case,  his  mind  is  at  ease,  and  he  has  nothing  to  do  but  to  pronounce  ;  in  the 
other,  he  pronounces  and  recollects  at  the  same  time  ;  and  is,  besides,  liable 
to  mistakes  and  failures  of  memory,  and,  if  his  nerves  are  not  uncommonly 
strong,  to  occasional  fits  of  solicitude.  Why  does  a  musician  choose  to  play  by 
book  even  the  music  that  he  remembers  ?  It  is,  because  by  taking  in,  with  one 
glance  of  his  eye,  a  number  of  contiguous  notes,  his  mind  is  always  disengaged, 
and  he  is  every  where  the  better  prepared  for  introducing  the  expressive  touch- 
es, and  other  necessary  ornaneuts.  In  like  manner,  a  good  reader  will,  if  I 
mistake  nut,  read  more  emphatically  and  with  greater  elegance,  what  he  sees 
before  him,  and  is  well  acquainted  with,  than  he  can  pronounce  what  is  sug- 
gested by  continual  recollection  ;  especially,  if  the  discourse  he  has  to  deliver 
be  of  considerable  length. 

"  As  to  the  effect  upon  the  hearers  ;  if  I  am  to  judge  by  my  own  feelings, 
and  trust  to  the  declaration  of  many  persons  of  candour  and  sensibility,  I  must 
say,  that  sermons  in  the  mouth  of  a  good  reader  have  a  more  powerful  energy, 
than  those  that  are  spoken  without  book.  The  pathos  may  be  less  vehement, 
perhaps,  but  it  is  more  solemn,  and  seeins  better  adapted  to  the  place,  and  to 
the  subject.  Preachers,  indeed,  there  are,  who  lay  claim  to  extraordinary  gifts 
and  pretend  to  speak  from  supernatural  impulse  ;  and  there  are  hearers,  who 
give  them  cr<  dit  for  this;  and  think  that  what  is  written,  and  read  to  them,  has 
too  much  the  air  of  mere  human  doctrine.  But  such  a  conceit  is  of  no  account 
in  rational  inquiry  ;  for  it  only  proves,  that  the  preacher  is  vain  and  the  people 
ignorant. 

"  In  Italy  and  France,  sermons  are  generally  pronounced  without  notes.  But 
they  are  at  the  same  time  accompanied  with  much  theatrical  gesture  ;  and  the 
consequence  is,  that  the  people  consider  them  rather  as  an  amusement,  than 
as  a  part  of  the  church  service.  In  Eiigland,  the  established  clergy  do  for  the 
most  part  read  their  sermons.  And  England  has  produced  a  greater  number  of 
good  preachers,  than  any  other  country  in  Europe."        Beallie  on  Memory. 


68  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

way  of  speaking.  For,  in  this  method,  as  in  the  other,  there  nriay  be 
different  degrees  of  eloquence.  You  may  further  observe,  that  most 
of  those  who  preach  without  getting  their  sermons  by  heart,  do  not 
prepare  themselves  enough.  They  ought  to  study  their  subject  with 
the  closest  attention  ;  prepare  all  those  moving  passages  that  should 
affect  the  audience  ;  and  give  the  several  parts  of  their  discourse  such 
an  order  as  wdl  best  serve  to  set  the  whole  in  the  most  proper  light. 

B.  You  have  oftentimes  spoken  of  this  order  ;  do  you  mean  any 
thing  else  by  it  than  a  division  of  the  subject  1  Perhaps  you  have 
some  peculiar  notion  on  this  point  too. 

A.  You  think  that  you  rally  me  ;  but  in  good  earnest,  I  am  as 
singular  in  my  opinion  upon  this  head,  as  on  any  other. 

B.  I  easily  believe  you. 

A.  It  is  certainly  so  :  and  since  we  have  fallen  upon  this  subject, 
I  will  show  you  how  far  I  think  the  greater  part  of  orators  are  defec- 
tive in  the  point  of  order. 

B.  Since  you  are  so  fond  of  order,  I  hope  you  do  not  dislike  di- 
visions. 

A.  I  am  far  from  approving  them. 

B.  Why  1    Do  they  not  methodize  a  discourse  ? 

-4.  For  the  most  part,  divisions  give  only  a  seeming  order  ;  while 
they  really  mangle  and  clog  a  discourse,  by  separating  it  into  two 
or  three  parts  ;  which  must  interrupt  the  orator's  action,  and  the  ef- 
fect it  ought  to  produce.  There  remains  no  true  unity  after  such  di- 
visions ;*  seeing  they  make  two  or  three  different  discourses,  which 
are  joined  into  one,  only  by  an  arbitrary  connexion.  For  three  ser- 
mons preached  at  different  limes,  (if  they  be  formed  upon  some  reg- 
ular concerted  plan,  as  the  sermons  in  Advent  usually  are,)  make  one 
piece,  or  entire  discourse,  as  much,  as  the  three  points  of  any  of  these 
sermons  make  one  whole  by  being  joined,  and  delivered,  together.! 

*  A  text  being  opened,  then  the  point  upon  which  the  sermon  is  to  run  is  to 
be  opened  ;  and  it  will  be  the  better  heard  and  understood,  if  there  be  but  one 
point  in  a  sermon ;  so  that  one  head,  and  only  one,  is  well  stated,  and  fully- 
set  out.  Discourse  of  the  pastoral  care^  p.  249, 

1  A  question  has  been  moved,  whether  this  method  of  laying  down  heads, 
as  it  is  called,  be  the  best  method  of  preaching.  A  very  able  judge,  the  arch- 
bishop of  Cambray,  in  his  dialogues  on  eloquence,  declares  strongly  against  it. 
But  notwithstanding  his  authority  and  arguments,  I  cannot  help  being  of  opin- 
ion, that  the  present  method  of  dividing  a  sermon  into  heads,  ought  not  to  be 
laid  aside.  Established  practice  ha?  now  given  it  so  much  weight,  that,  were 
there  nothing  more  in  its  favour,  it  would  be  dangerous  for  any  preacher  to  de- 
viate so  far  from  the  common  track.  But  the  practice  itself  has  also,  in  my 
judo-ement,  much  reason  on  its  side.  If  formal  partitions  give  a  sermon  less  of 
the  oratorical   appearance,  they  render  it,   however,  more  clear,  more  easily 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  69 

JB.  What  is  it  then  that  you  mean  by  order  1  How  confused  must 
a  discourse  be  that  is  not  divided  ! 

A.  Do  you  think  there  is  more  confusion  in  the  orations  of  De- 
mosthenes and  Tully,  than  in  the  sermons  of  your  parish  preacher? 

B.  I  do  not  know.     I  believe  not. 

A.  You  need  not  be  afraid  of  giving  your  judgement  too  freely. 
The  harangues  of  these  great  men  are  not  divided  as  our  sermons  are. 
Nay,  Isocrates,  (of  whom  we  spake  so  much  before,)  and  other  an- 
cient orators,  did  not  follow  our  method  of  dividing.  The  fathers  of 
the  church  knew  nothing  of  it.  Even  St.  Bernard,  the  last  of  them, 
only  gives  a  hint  of  some  divisions,  and  does  not  pursue  Ihem  ;  nor  di- 
vide his  discourses  in  form.  And  for  a  long  time  after  him,  sermons 
were  not  divided  :  it  is  a  modern  invention,  which  we  owe  originally 
to  the  scholastic  divines. 

B.  I  grant  that  the  schoolmen  are  a  very  bad  model  for  eloquence  ; 
but  what  form  did  the  ancients  use  to  give  their  discourses  1 

A.  They  did  not  divide  them  ;  but  they  pointed  out  carefully  all 
those  things  that  ought  to  be  distinguished  ;  to  each  of  them  they 
assigned  its  proper  place  ;*  after  having  attentively  considered  where 
it  might  be  introduced  to  the  best  advantage,  and  be  fittest  to  make  a 
due  impression.     Ofttimes  that,  which  would  seem  nothing  to  the  pur- 


apprehended,  and  of  course,  more  instructive  to  the  bulk  of  hearers,  which  is 
always  the  main  object  to  be  kept  in  view.  The  heads  of  a  sermon  are  great 
assistances  to  the  memory,  and  recollection  of  a  hearer.  Tiiey  serve  also  to 
fix  his  attention.  They  enable  him  more  easily  to  keep  pace  with  the  pro- 
gress of  the  discourse ;  they  give  him  pauses  and  resting  places,  where  he  can 
reflect  on  what  has  been  said,  and  look  forward  to  what  is  to  follow,  'i  hey 
are  attended  with  this  advantage  too,  that  they  give  the  audience  the  oppor- 
tunity of  knowing,  beforehand,  when  they  are  to  be  released  from  the  fatigue 
of  attention,  and  thereby  make  them  follow  the  speaker  more  patiently.*  "•  The 
conclusion  of  each  head,"  says  Quintilian,  "•  is  a  relief  to  the  hearers ;  just  as 
upon  a  journey,  the  mile-stones,  which  are  set  up  on  the  road,  serve  to  dimin- 
ish the  traveller's  fatigue.  For  we  are  always  pleased  with  seeing  our  labour 
begin  to  lessen  ;  and,  by  calculating  how  much  remains,  are  stirred  up  to  fin- 
nish  our  task  more  cheerfully."  With  regard  to  breaking  the  unity  of  a  dis- 
course, I  cannot  be  of  opinion  that  there  arises,  from  that  quarter,  any  argu- 
ment against  the  method  I  am  defending.  If  the  unity  be  broken,  it  is  to  the 
nature  of  the  heads,  or  topics  of  which  the  speaker  treats,  that  this  is  to  be  im- 
puted ;  not  to  his  laying  them  down  in  form.  On  the  contrary,  if  his  heads 
be  well  chosen,  his  marking  them  out,  and  distinguishing  them,  in  place  of 
impairing  the  unity  of  the  whole,  renders  it  more  conspicuous  and  complete  ; 
by  shewing  how  all  the  parts  of  a  discourse  hang  upon  one  another,  and  tend 
to  one  point.  Blair. 

*  Ordinis  hsec  virtus  erit,  et  venus,  aut  ego  fallor, 
Ut  jam  nunc  dicat,  jam  nunc  debentia  dici 

Pleiaque  differal,  et  praesens  in  ternpus  omittat • 

Infelix  operis  summa,  quia  ponera  totum 

Nesciet Hor.  de  A.  P. 


76  DIALOGUES  CONCERMNG  ELOQUENCE. 

pose,  by  beinw  unseasonably  urged,  has  a  very  great  weight  when  it  is 
reserved  for  its  proper  place:  till  the  audience  be  prepared  by  other 
things  to  feel  all  its  force  and  consequence.  Nay,  a  single  word,  when 
happily  apf)lied,  will  set  the  truth  in  the  strongest  light.  Cicero  tells 
us,  that  we  ought  sometimes  to  delay  giving  a  full  view  of  the  truth, 
till  the  very  conclusion.  But  then  throughout  our  discourse,  there 
ought  to  run  such  a  concatenation  of  proofs,  as  that  the  first  may  make 
way  for  the  second  ;  and  the  next  always  serve  to  support  the  former. 
We  ought  at  first  to  give  a  general  view  of  our  subject,  and  endeav- 
vour  to  gain  the  favour  of  the  audience  by  a  modest  introduction,*  a  re- 
spectful address,  and  the  genuine  marks  of  candour  and  probity. 
Then  we  should  establish  those  principles  on  which  we  design  to  ar- 
gue ;  and  in  a  clear,  easy,  sensible  manner,  propose  the  principal  facts 
we  are  to  build  on  ;  insisting  chiefly  on  those  circumstances,  of  which 
we  intend  to  make  use  afterwards.  From  these  principles  and  facts 
we  must  draw  just  consequences ;  and  argue  in  such  a  clear  and  well 
connected  manner,  that  all  our  proofs  may  support  each  other  ;  and  so 
be  the  more  remembered.  Every  step  we  advance,  our  discourse 
ought  to  grow  stronger  ;  so  that  the  hearers  may  gradually  perceive 
the  force  and  evidence  of  the  truth  ;  and  then  we  ought  to  display  it  in 
such  lively  images  and  movements  as  are  proper  to  excite  the  passions. 
In  order  to  this  we  must  know  their  various  springs,  and  the  mutual 
dependance  they  have  one  upon  another  ;  which  of  them  we  can  most 
easily  move,  and  employ  to  raise  the  rest ;  and  wliich  of  them  in  fine,  is 
able  to  produce  the  greatest  effects;  and  must  therefore  be  applied 
to,  in  the  conclusion  of  our  discourse.  It  is  ofttimes  proper,  at  the 
close,  to  make  a  short  recapitulation,  in  which  the  orator  ought  to  ex- 
ert alfhis  force  and  skill  in  giving  the  audience  a  full,  clear,  concise 
view  of  the  chief  topics  he  has  enlarged  on.  In  short,  one  is  not 
oblio-ed  always  to  follow  this  method  without  any  variation.  There 
are  exceptions  and  allowances  to  be  made,  for  different  subjects  and  oc- 
casions. And  even  in  this  order  I  have  proposed,  one  may  find  an  end- 
less variety.  But  now  you  may  easily  see,  that  this  method,  (which  is 
chiefly  taken  from  Tully,)  cannot  be  observed  in  a  discourse  that  is 
divided  into  three  parts,  nor  can  it  be  followed  in  each  particular  divi- 
sion. We  ought  therefore  to  choose  some  method,  Sir,  but  such 
a  method  as  is  not  discovered,  and  promised  in   the  beginning  of  our 


*  Sed  hEEC  adjuvanl  in  oratort,  lenilas  vocis.  vultiis,  pudoris  siynificatio, 
verborum  comitas  ;  si  quid  persequare  acriiis,  ut  invitus,  c-t  coactus  lacere  vi- 
deare.  Facilitatis,  liberalitatis,  mausin  tudiiiis,  pietalis,  grati  auimi,  non  appe- 
tentis,  non  avidi  signa  proferri  peiutile  est— taut u in  a.iteai  (fficitur  sitisii  quo- 
dam  ac  ratione  dicendi,  ut  quasi  mores  oiatoris  effingat  oratio.     Cic.  de  Oral. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  %i, 

discourse.  Cicero  tells  us,  that  the  best  method  is  generally  to  con- 
ceal the  order  we  follow,  till  we  lead  the  hearer  to  it  without  his  being 
aware  of  it  before.  I  remember  he  says  in  express  terms,  that  we 
ought  to  conceal  even  the  number  of  our  arguments;  so  that  one  shall 
not  be  able  to  count  them,  though  they  be  very  distinct  in  themselves; 
and  that  we  ought  not  plainly  to  point  out  the  division  of  a  discourse. 
But  such  is  the  undistinguishing  taste  of  these  latter  ages,  that  an  au- 
dience cannot  perceive  any  order,  unless  the  speaker  distinctly  ex- 
plain it  in  the  beginning;  and  even  intimate  to  them  his  gradual  ad- 
vances from  the  first  to  the  second,  and  following  general  heads  or 
subdivisions  of  his  discourse, 

C.  But  do  not  divisions  help  to  support  the  attention,  and  ease  the 
memory  of  the  hearers  ?  It  is  for  their  better  instruction  that  the 
speaker  divides  his  discourse. 

A.  A  division  chiefly  relieves  the  speaker's  memory.  And  even 
this  effect  might  be  much  better  obtained  by  his  follow  ing  a  natural  ' 
order,  without  any  express  division;  for  the  true  connexion  of  things 
best  directs  the  mind.  Our  common  divisions  are  of  use  to  those  on- 
ly, who  have  studied,  and  been  trained  up  to  this  method  in  the 
schools.  And  if  the  common  people  retain  the  division  better  than 
the  rest  of  the  sermon  ;  it  is  only  because  they  hear  it  often  repeated : 
but,  generally  speaking,  they  best  remember  practical  points,  and  such 
things  as  strike  their  senses  and  imagination. 

B.  The  order  you  propose  may  be  proper  enough  for  some  sub- 
jects :  but  it  cannot  be  fit  for  all ;  for,  we  have  not  always  facts  to  lay 
down. 

A.  When  we  have  none  we  must  do  without  them  :  but  there  are 
very  few  subjects  into  which  they  might  not  be  aptly  introduced. 
One  of  Plato's  chief  beauties  is,  that  in  the  beginning  of  his  moral 
pieces,  he  usually  gives  us  some  fragment  of  history,  or  some  tradition 
that  serves  as  the  foundation  of  his  discourse.  This  method  would  far 
more  become  those,  who  preach  religion ;  which  is  entirely  founded 
upon  tradition,  history,  and  the  most  ancient  records.  Indeed,  most 
preachers  argue  but  weakly ;  and  do  not  instruct  people  sufficiently, 
because  they  do  not  trace  back  things  to  these  sources. 

JB.  We  have  already  given  you  too  much  trouble,  Sir,  and  I  am 
almost  ashamed  to  detain  you  longer ;  but  I  wish  heartily  you  would 
allow  me  to  ask  you  a  few  more  questions  concerning  the  rules  of  pub- 
lic discourse. 

A.  With  all  my  heart ;  I  am  not  yet  weary ;  you  may  dispose  as 
you  please,  of  the  little  time  I  have  left. 


72  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

B.  Well  then,  you  would  have  all  false  and  trifling  ornaments  en* 
tirely  banished  from  discourse.  Now,  though  you  touched  upon  this 
point  before,  pray  show  me  by  some  sensible  examples,  how  to  distin- 
guish such  false  beauties  from  those  .that  are  solid  and  natural.* 

A.  Do  you  love  quavering  notes  in  musici  Are  you  not  better 
pleased  with  those  brisk,  significant  notes  that  describe  things,  and 
express  the  passions  ? 

B.  Yes,  certainly  ;  for  quavers  are  of  no  use ;  they  only  amuse 
the  ear,  and  do  not  affect  the  mind.  Our  music  was  once  full  of 
them,  and  was  therefore  very  weak  and  confused  :  but  now  we  begin 
to  refine  our  taste,  and  to  come  nearer  the  music  of  the  ancients  ; 
which  is  a  kind  of  passionate  declamation  that  acts  powerfully  upon 
the  soul. 

A.  I  knew  that  music,  of  which  you  are  so  good  a  judge,  would 
serve  to  make  you  understand  what  concerns  eloquence.  There  ought 
to  be  a  kind  of  eloquence  in  music  itself;  and  in  both  these  arts,  we 
ought  to  reject  all  false  and  trilling  beauties.  Do  you  not  perceive 
now  that  by  a  trilling  discourse  I  mean  the  humming  jingle  of  lan- 
guid, uniform  periods;  a  chiming  of  words  that  returns  perpetually 
like  the  burden  of  a  song?  This  is  the  false  eloquence  that  resem- 
bles bad  music. 

B.  I  wish.  Sir,  you  could  make  it  a  little  plainer  still. 

A.  The  reading  of  good  and  bad  orators  will  more  effectually  form 
your  taste,  on  this  point,  than  all  the  rules  in  the  world.  However,  it 
were  easy  to  satisfy  you  by  some  pertinent  examples.  I  will  not  men- 
tion any  modern  ones  ;  though  we  abound  in  false  ornaments.  That, 
I  may  not  offend  any  person,  let  us  return  to  Isocrates,  who  is  the 
standard  of  those  nice  and  florid  harangues  that  are  now  in  vogue. 
Did  you  ever  read  his  famous  panegyric  on  Helen  1 

B.  Yes ;  I  have  read  it  some  time  ago. 

A.  How  did  you  like  it  ? 

B.  Extremely  well.  I  thought  I  never  saw  so  much  wit,  elegance, 
sweetness,  invention,  and  delicacy  in  any  composure.     1  own  to  you 

*  False  eloquence,  like  the  prismatic  glass, 
Its  gandy  colours  spreads  on  every  place  ; 
The  face  of  nature  we  no  more  surrey. 
All  glares  alike,  without  distinction  gay. 
But  true  expression,  like  the  unchanging  sun, 
Clears  and  improves  whate'er  if  shines  upon, 
It  gilds  all  objects,  but  it  alters  none. 
Expression  is  the  dress  of  thought,  and  still 
Appears  more  decent,  as  more  suitable. 

Popt's  Essay  on  Criticism, 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  73 

that  Homer  himself  (whom  I  read  afterwards,)  did  not  seem  to  have 
so  much  spirit  as  he.  But  now  that  you  have  shown  me  what  ought 
to  be  the  true  aim  of  poets  and  orators,  I  see  plainly  that  Homer,  who 
concealed  his  art,  vastly  surpasses  Isocrates,  who  took  so  much  pains 
to  display  his  skill.     But  I  was  once  charmed   with  that  orator,  and 

should  have  been  so  still,  if  you  had  not  undecieved  me.     Mr. 

is  the  Isocrates  of  our  days  :  and  I  percieve  that  by  showing  the  de- 
fects of  that  ancient  orator,  you  condemn  all  those  who  imitate  his 
florid,  effeminate  rhetoric. 

A.  I  am  now  speaking  of  Isocrates  only  :  in  the  beginning  of  his  i 
encomium  he  magnifies  the  love  that  Theseus  had  for  Helen,  and  fan- 
cied that  he  should  give  a  lofty  idea  of  her,  by  describing  the  heroic 
qualities  of  that  great  man  who  fell  in  love  with  her:  as  if  Theseus 
(whom  the  ancients  always  represent  as  weak  and  inconstant  in  hia 
amours,)  could  not  have  been  smitten  with  a  woman  of  a  moderate 
beauty.  Then  he  conies  to  the  judgement  that  Paris  formed  of  her. 
He  says  that  a  dispute  having  arisen  among  the  goddesses  concerning 
their  beauty  ;  they  agreed  to  make  Paris  judge  of  it :  upon  which  oc- 
casion Juno  proffered  him  the  empire  of  Asia  :  Minerva  assured  him 
of  constant  victory  in  battles  :  and  Venus  tempted  him  with  the  beau- 
tiful Helen.  Now  seeing  Paris,  when  he  was  to  determine  this  mat- 
ter, could  not  behold  the  faces  of  those  goddesses,  because  of  their 
dazzling  splendor,  he  could  only  judge  of  the  worth  of  the  three 
things  that  they  offered  ;  and  upon  the  comparison  he  preferred  Hel- 
en to  empire,  and  to  victory.  Then  the  orator  praises  the  judgement 
of  Paris,  in  whose  determination  the  goddesses  themselves  acquiesced ; 
and  adds  these  remarkable  words  :*  "  I  wonder  that  any  one  should 
think  Paris  indiscreet  in  choosing  to  live  with  her,  for  whom  many 
demigods  would   have  been  willing  to  die." 

C.  This  puts  me  in  mind  of  our  preachers,  who  are  so  full  of  an- 
titheses and  turns  of  wit.  There  are  a  great  many  such  orators  as 
Isocrates. 

A.  He  is  their  master  !  all  the  rest  of  his  panegyric  is  of  the  same 
strain.t  It  is  founded  on  the  long  war  of  Troy  ;  the  calamities  that 
the  Greeks  suffered  for  the  rape  of  Helen,  and  the  praise  of  beauty, 
which  has  so  much  power  over  men.     There  is  nothing  in  the  whole 

*  0aviuatui  d^  si  rig  oiiTai  y.axwi;  (it^ov?.eva&at  Tor  |itET«  rauTj;?  t»|r  i^oiJ,tvov,  f/s 
svtxa  Tio).Xoi  Tujv  i^iii&sMv  ano^vtiaxetv  td-eHrjOav.  Isocr.  Hel.  Laud. 

t  His  very  next  words  are  these, TZoi?  S"  ovx  av  in;  avorjrog  ei  rag  ^lag  ei- 

io)g  ntQi  xaXXovg  ipiXovcixovaag,  ai;To;  xijt?.iovg  xaTtifQovijas,  xai  fitj  ravTtiv  trofciat 
ti«ytffT»;v  (ivoci  tuv  dwQwv,  nsQi  i^g  xaxsivag  giaqa  iiaXiara  o/tovdullovaccg  ;  Ibid. 

10 


74  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

discourse  solidly  proved  ;  nor  the  least  point  of  moral  instruction.  He 
judges  of  the  worth  of  things  only  according  to  men's  extravagant 
passions.  And  as  his  proofs  are  weak,  so  his  style  is  flourished  and 
finical.  I  quoted  this  passage,  profane  as  it  is,  because  it  is  a  very  fa- 
mous one  ;  and  because  this  affected  manner  is  very  much  in  fashion. 
The  more  grave  discourses  of  Isocrates  are  composed  in  the  same 
spruce,  effeminate  way ;  and  are  full  of  such  false  beauties  as  that  I 
have  now  mentioned. 

C.  I  find  you  like  none  of  those  witty  turns,  which  have  nothing 
in  them  that  is  either  solid,  natural,  or  afTecting  :  and  tend  neither  to 
convince,  nor  paint,  nor  persuade.  The  example  you  have  brought 
from  Isocrates,  though  it  be  upon  a  trifling  subject,  is  yet  very  perti- 
nent ;  for  all  such  tinsel  wit  must  appear  still  more  ridiculous  when 
it  is  applied  to  grave  and  serious  matters.* 

A.  But,  Sir,  as  to  Isocrates,  do  not  you  think  I  had  reason  to  cen- 
sure him  as  freely  as  TuUy  assures  us  Aristotle  did  ? 

B.  What  says  Tully  ? 

A.  That  Aristotle,t  perceiving  Isocrates  had  perverted  eloquence 
from  its  proper  use,  to  amusement  and  ostentation,  and  thereby 
drawn  to  himself  the  most  considerable  disciples,  applied  to  him  a 
verse  of  Philoctetes,  to  show  how  much  he  was  ashamed  of  being  si- 
lent, while  that  vain  declaimer  carried  all  before  him.  But  I  have 
done  now  ;  it  is  time  for  me  to  be  going. 

B.  We  cannot  part  with  you  so  soon,  Sir  ;  will  you  then  allow  of 
no  antitheses  ? 

*  A  loose  and  indiscriminate  manner  of  applying;  the  promises  and  threaten- 
ing;s  of  the  o-ospel,  is  ill  judged  and  pernicious  ;  it  is  not  possible  to  conceive  a 
more  efTectual  method  of  depriving  the  sword  of  the  spirit  of  its  edge,  than 
adopting  that  lax  generality  of  representation,  which  leaves  its  hearer  nothing 
to  apply,  presents  no  incentive  to  self  examination,  and  besides  its  utter  ineffi- 
ciency, disgusts  by  the  ignorance  of  human  nature,  or  the  disregard  to  its  best 
interests,  it  infallibly  betrays.  Without  descending  to  such  a  minute  specifl- 
cation  of  circumstances,  as  shall  make  our  addresses  personal,  they  ought  un- 
questionably to  be  characteristic,  that  the  conscience  of  the  audience  may  feel 
the  hand  of  the  preacher  searching  it,  and  every  individual  know  where  to 
class  himself.  7'he  preacher  who  aims  at  doing  good,  will  endeavour,  above 
all  things,  to  insulate  his  hearers,  to  place  each  of  them  apart,  and  render  it 
impossible  for  him  to  escape  by  losing  himself  in  the  crowd.  At  the  day  of 
judgement,  the  attention  excited  by  the  surrounding  scene,  the  strange  aspect 
of  nature,  the  dissolution  of  the  elements,  and  the  last  trump,  will  have  no  oth- 
er effect  than  to  cause  the  reflections  of  the  sinner  to  return  with  a  more  over- 
whelming tide  on  his  own  character,  his  sentence,  his  unchanging  destiny  ; 
and,  amid  the  innumerable  millions  who  surround  him,  he  will  mourn  apart. 
It  is  thus  the  christian  minister  should  endeavour  to  prepare  the  tribunal  of 
conscience,  and  turn  the  eyes  of  every  one  of  his  hearers  on  himself. 

Hall  on  the  discouragements  and  supports  of  the  christian  ministry. 

t  Lib.  iii.  i  35. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  76 

A.  Yes;  when  the  things  we  speak  of  are  naturally  opposite  one 
to  another,  it  may  be  proper  enough  to  show  their  opposition.  Such 
antitheses  are  just  and  have  a  solid  beauty,  and  a  right  application  of 
them  is  often  the  most  easy  and  concise  manner  of  explaining  things. 
But  it  is  extremely  childish  to  use  artificial  turns  and  windings  to 
make  words  clash  and  play  one  against  another.  At  first,  this  may 
happen  to  dazzle  those,  who  have  no  taste  ;  but  they  soon  grow  wea- 
ry of  such  a  silly  affectation.  Did  you  ever  observe  the  Gothic  archi- 
tecture of  our  old  churches? 

B.  Yes  ;  it  is  very  common. 

A.  Did  you   take  notice  of  the  roses,  holes,  unconnected  orna-  - 
ments,  and  disjointed  little  knacks  that  these  Gothic  buildings  are  full  ''f 
of  1    These  odd  conceits  are  just  such  beauties  in  architecture  as  forced  { 
antitheses  and  quibbles  are  in  eloquence.      The  Grecian  architecture 

is  far  more  simple,  and  admits  of  none  but  natural,  solid,  and  majes- 
tic ornaments;  we  see  nothing  in  it  but  what  is  great,  proportioned, 
and  well  placed.  But  the  Gothic  kind  was  invented  by  the  Arabi- 
ans ;  who  being  a  people  of  a  quick,  sprightly  fancy,  and  having  no 
rule  nor  culture,  could  scarce  avoid  falling  into  these  whimsical  nice- 
ties. And  this  vivacity  corrupted  their  taste  in  all  other  things.  For, 
they  used  sophisms  in  their  logic ;  they  loved  little  knacks  in  archi- 
tecture ;  and  invented  witticisms  in  poetry  and  eloquence.  All  these 
are  of  the  same  kind. 

B.  This  is  curious,  indeed.  You  think  then  that  a  sermon,  full 
of  forced  antitheses,  and  such  kind  of  ornaments,  is  like  a  church 
built  in  the  Gothic  way. 

A.  Yes ;  I  think  the  comparison  is  just. 

B.  Let  me  ask  you  but  one  question  more,  and  then  you  shall  go. 

A.  What  is  it? 

B.  It  seems  very  difficult  to  give  a  particular  account  of  facts,  in 
a  noble  style ;  and  yet  we  ought  to  do  so,  if  we  talk  solidly  as  you  re- 
quire.    Pray,  what  is  the  proper  style  for  expatiating,  in  such  cases  ? 

A.  We  are  so  much  afraid  of  a  low  strain,  that  our  expressions 
are  usually  dry,  lifeless,  and  indeterminate.  They  who  praise  a  saint,  | 
pitch  on  the  most  magnificent  phrases.  They  tell  us  he  was  an  ad- 
mirable person  ;  that  his  virtues  were  celestial ;  that  he  was  rather  an 
angel,  than  a  man.  And  thus  the  whole  encomium  is  a  mere  decla- 
mation, without  any  proof;  and  without  drawing  a  just  character.  On 
the  contrary,  the  ancient  Greeks  made  little  use  of  these  general 
terms,  which  prove  nothing :  but  they  insisted  much  on  facts,  and 
the  particulars  of  a  character.     For  instance,   Xenophon  does  not 


76  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

once  say  in  all  his  Cyropaedia,  that  Cyrus  was  an  admirable  man  :  but 
throughout  the  work  he  makes  us  really  admire  him.  Thus  is  it, 
that  we  ought  to  praise  holy  persons,  by  entering  into  the  particular 
detail  of  their  sentiments  and  actions.  But  there  prevails  an  affected 
politeness  among  the  pedantic  and  conceited  part  of  all  ranks  and 
professions,  who  value  themselves  upon  their  wit  or  learning.  They 
never  venture  to  use  any  expression,  but  what  they  reckon  fine  and 
uncommon.  They  talk  always  in  a  high  strain  ;*  and  would  think 
it  beneath  them  to  call  things  by  their  proper  names.  Now  in  true 
eloquence  almost  every  thing  may  be  introduced.  The  perfection  of 
poetry  itself,  (which  is  the  loftiest  kind  of  composure)  depends  on  a 
full  and  lively  description  of  things  in  all  their  circumstances.  When 
Virgil  represents  the  Trojan  fleet  leaving  the  African  shore,  or  arriv- 
ing on  the  coast  of  Italy,  you  see  every  proper  circumstance  exactly 
described.  But  we  must  own  that  the  Greeks  entered  still  further 
into  the  particular  detail  of  things  ;  and  followed  nature  more  closely 
in  representing  the  smallest  circumstances.  For  which  reason,  many 
people  would  be  apt  (if  they  dared)  to  reckon  Homer  too  plain 
and  simple  in  his  narrations.  In  this  ancient,  beautiful  simplicity, 
(which  few  are  able  to  relish,)  this  poet  very  much  resembles  the 
holy  scripture :  but  in  many  places  the  sacred  writings  surpass  his, 
as  much  as  he  excels  all  the  other  ancients,  in  a  natural  and  lively 
representation  of  things. 

B.  In  relating  facts,  then,  ought  we  to  describe  every  individual 
circumstance  that  belongs  to  them  ? 

A.  No :  we  should  represent  nothing  to  the  hearers  but  what  de- 
serves their  attention  ;  and  helps  to  give  a  clear  and  just  idea  of 
the  things  we  describe  ;  so  that  it  requires  great  judgement  to  make 
a  right  choice  of  circumstances.f  But  we  must  not  be  afraid  of  men- 
tioning such  as  can  be  any  way  serviceable  ;  for  it  is  a  false  politeness 
that  leads  us  to  suppress  some  useful  things,  because  we  do  not  think 
them  capable  of  any  ornament.  Besides,  Homer  has  shown  us  by  his 
example  that  we  might  give  a  proper  grace  and  embellishment  to  ev- 
ery subject-! 

*  Prima  est  eloquentiae  virtus  perspicuitas  ;  et  quo  quisque  ing;enio  minus 
valet,  hoc  se  mag^is  attollere  et  dilalare  conatur ;  ut  statura  breves  indigitos 
eriguntur  ;  et  plura  infirmi  minantur.  Nam  tumidos,  et  corruptos,  et  tinnu- 
los,  et  quocumque  alio  cacozeliae  genere  peccantes,  certum  babeo,  non  virium, 
sed  infirmitalis  vitio  laborare  ;  ut  corpora  dod  robore,  sed  valetudine,  inflan- 
tur.  ^uinl.  lib,  ii.  c.  3. 

t  See  Longinus,  {  x. 

\  First  fol  ow  nature,  and  your  judg;ement  frame 
By  her  just  standard,  which  is  still  the  same  ; 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  77 

B.  Seeing  you  condemn  the  florid,  swelling  style  ;  what  kind  do 
you  reckon  fittest  for  public  use  ? 

A.  There  ought  to  be  a  variety  of  style  in  every  discourse.  We 
should  rise  in  our  expression  when  we  speak  of  lofty  subjects ;  and  be 
familiar,  in  common  ones,  without  being  coarse,  or  grovelling.*  In 
most  cases,  an  easy  simplicity  and  exactness  is  sufficient ;  though 
some  things  require  vehemence,  and  sublimity.  If  a  painter  should 
-draw  nothing  but  magnificent  palaces,  he  could  not  follow  truth  ;  but 
must  paint  his  own  fancies  ;  and  by  that  means  soon  cloy  us.  He 
ought  to  copy  nature  in  its  agreeable  varieties  ;  and  after  drawing  a 
stately  city,  it  might  be  proper  to  represent  a  desert,  and  the  huts  of 
shepherds.  Most  of  those,  who  aim  at  making  fine  harangues,  injudi- 
ciously labour  to  clothe  all  their  thoughts  in  a  pompous,  gaudy  dress  ;t 
and  they  fancy  that  they  have  succeeded  happily,  when  they  express 
some  general  remarks  in  a  florid,  lofty  style.  Their  only  care  is  to 
fill  their  discourse  with  abundance  of  ornaments,  to  please  the  vitiated 
taste  of  their  audience  ;  like  ignorant  cooks,  who  know  not  how  to 
season  dishes,  in  a  proper,  natural  way ;  but  fancy  they  must  give 
them  an   exquisite   relish  by  mixing  excessive  quantities  of  the  most 

Unerring'  nature,  still  divinely  brig^ht, 

One    clear,  unchanged,  and  universal  light; 

Life,  force,  and  beauty  must  to  all  impart, 

At  once  the  source,  and  end,  and  test  of  art. 

Art  from  that  fund  each  just  supply  provides, 

Works  without  show  ;  and  without  pomp  presides. 

Those  rules  of  old  discover^,  not  devised, 

Are  nature  still,  but  nature  methodiz'd  ; 

Nature,  like  monarchy,  Is  but  restraiuM 

By  the  same  laws  which  first  herself  ordained. 

Papers  Essay  on  Criticism. 

*  EdTiv  wq'  0  iSivmaitog  tviOTt  rov  y.on^ov  naqctnoXv  cfKpaviOTixwreQov  tTTiyivw- 
axcrai  yan  avro&iv  tx  rov  y.oivov  (itoV  to  Ss  Ovvij&tg  tjSrj  7TiOTOTtQor——TavTa  yuQ 
tyyv?  TTUQa^vci  Tijr  iSiviTtjV,  a?.?.'  ovx  iSiwrtvii  rmaii^iaxrixw.     Longinus,  k  xxxi. 

"  Affectation  of  every  sort  is  odious,  and  more  especially  an  affectation  that 
betrays  a  minister  into  expressions  fit  only  for  the  mouths  of  the  illiterate. 
Truth,  indeed,  needs  no  ornament,  neither  does  a  beautiful  person  ;  but  to 
clothe  it  therefore  in  rags,  when  a  decent  habit  is  at  hand,  would  be  estec^m- 
ed  preposterous  and  absurd.  The  best  proportioned  figure  may  be  made  offen- 
sive by  beggary  and  filth  ;  and  even  truths,  which  came  down  from  Heaven, 
though  they  cannot  forego  their  nature,  may  be  disguised  and  disgraced  by  un- 
suitable language.  He  that  epeaks  to  be  understood  by  a  congregation  of  rus- 
tics, and  yet  in  terms  that  would  not  offend  academic  ears,  has  found  the  hap- 
py medium.  This  is  certainly  practicable  to  men  of  taste  andjudgement,  and 
the  practice  of  a  few  proves  it."  Cowper. 

+  Namque  illud  genus  ostentationi  compositum,  solum  petit  audientium  vo- 
luptatem  ;  ideoque  omnes  dicendi  artes  aperit,  ornatumque  orationis  exponit 
—  mala  affectatio,  per  omne  dicendi  genus  peccat.  Nam  et  tumida,  et  exilia, 
ct  praedulcia,  et  abundantia,  et  arcessita,  et  exultantia  sub  idem  nomen  cadiint. 
Denique  xaxotrikor  vocatur,  quicquid  est  ultra  virtutem  ;  quoties  ingenium  ju- 
dicio  caret,  et  specie  boni  falletur  ;  omnium  in  eloquentia  vitiorum  pessimum, 
nam  csetera  cum  viteatur,  hoc  petitqr.  Quint,  lib.  viii,  c.  3. 


78  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

seasoning  things.  But  the  style  of  a  true  orator  has  nothing  in  it  that 
is  swelling  or  ostentatious  ;  he  always  adapts  it  to  the  subjects  he  treats 
of,  and  the  persons  he  instructs  ;  and  manages  it  so  judiciously  that 
he  never  aims  at  being  sublime  and  lofty,  but  when  he  ought  to  be  so.* 

B.  What  you  said  concerning  the  language  of  scripture,  makes 
me  wish  earnestly  that  you  would  show  us  the  beauty  of  it.  May  we 
not  see  you  some  time  to-morrow  ? 

A.  I  shall  hardly  have  time  to-morrow  :  but  I  will  endeavour  to 
wait  on  you  this  evening.  And  since  you  seem  so  desirous  of  it,  we 
will  talk  of  the  word  of  God ;  for  hitherto  we  have  only  spoken  of 
the  language  of  men. 

C.  Farewell,  Sir,  I  beg  of  you  to  be  punctual ;  otherwise  we  must 
come  and  find  you  out. 


*  The  style  most  fit  for  the  pulpit  is  thus  defined  by  Dr.  Fordyce.  "  I 
"Would  call  it,  in  a  few  words,  simple,  yet  great ;  adorned,  3'et  chaste  ;  animated 
and  strong^,  at  the  same  time  easy,  and  somewhat  diffuse  ;  and,  in  fine,  numer- 
ous and  flowino;,  without  running  into  the  poetical,  or  swelling  into  bombast." 

Eloquenct  of  the  pulpit. 

1  have  been  curious  enough  to  take  a  list  of  several  hundred  words  in  a 
sermon  of  a  new  beginner,  which  not  one  of  his  hearers  among  a  hundred  could 
possibly  understand  ;  neither  can  I  easily  call  to  mind  any  clergyman  of  my 
own  acquaintance,  who  is  wholly  exempt  from  this  error,  although  many  of  them 
agree  with  me  in  the  dislike  of  the  thing.  But  1  am  apt  to  put  myself  in  the 
place  of  the  vulgar,  and  think  many  words  difficult  or  obscure,  which  the 
preacher  will  not  allow  to  be  so,  because  those  words  are  obvious  to  scholars. 
I  b-Iieve  the  method  observed  by  the  famous  Lord  Falkland,  in  some  of  his 
writings,  would  not  be  an  ill  one  lor  young  divines  ;  I  was  assured  by  an  old 
person  of  quality,  who  knew  him  well,  that  when  he  doubted  whether  a  word 
was  perfectly  intelligble  or  not,  he  used  to  consult  one  of  his  lady's  chamber- 
maids, (not  the  waiting  woman,  because  it  was  possible  she  might  be  convers- 
ant in  romances.)  and  by  her  judgement  was  guided  whether  to  receive  or  re- 
ject it.  And  if  that  great  person  thought  such  a  caution  necessary  in  treatises 
offered  to  the  learned  world,  it  will  be  sure  at  least  as  proper  in  sermons,  where 
the  meanest  hearer  is  supposed  to  be  concerned,  and  where  very  often  a  lady's 
chambermaid  may  be  allowed  to  equal  half  the  congregation,  both  as  to  quality 
and  understanding.  But  I  know  not  how  it  comes  to  pass,  that  professors  in  most 
arts  and  sciences  are  generally  the  worst  qualified  to  explain  their  meanings 
to  those  who  are  not  of  their  tribe  ;  a  common  farmer  shall  make  you  under- 
stand in  three  words,  that  his  foot  is  out  of  joint,  or  his  collar-bone  broken  ; 
wherein  a  surgeon,  after  a  hundred  terms  of  art,  if  you  are  not  a  scholar,  shall 
leave  you  to  seek.  It  is  frequently  the  same  case  in  law,  physic,  and  even 
many  of  the  meaner  arts,  Swiffs  Letter  to  a  Young  Clergyman. 

A  man  of  merit  and  breeding  you  may  disguise,  by  putting  him  in  the  ap- 
parel of  a  clown,  but  you  cannot  justly  find  fault,  that  in  that  garb  he  meets 
not  with  the  same  reception  in  good  company,  that  he  would  meet  with  if  more 
suitably  habited.  The  outward  appearance  is  the  first  thing  that  strikes  us  in 
a  person  ;  the  expression  is  the  first  thing  that  strikes  us  in  a  discourse.  Take 
care  at  least,  that  in  neither,  there  be  any  thing  to  make  an  unfavourable  im- 
pression, which  may  preclude  all  further  inquiry  and  regard.  It  was  extremely 
well  said  by  a  very  popular  preacher  in  our  own  days,  who,  when  consulted 
by  a  friend  that  had  a  mind  to  publish,  whether  he  thought  it  befitting  a  wri- 
ter on  religion  to  attend  to  such  little  matters  as  grammatical  correctness ; 
answered,  "  By  all  means.  It  is  much  better  to  write  so  as  to  make  a  critic 
turn  Christian,  than  so  as  to  make  a  Christian  turn  critic." 

Campbell  on  Pulpit  Eloquence. 


THIRD  DIALOGUE. 


C.  I  began  to  fear,  Sir,  that  you  would  not  come  :  and  was  very 
near  going  to  seek  for  you  at  Mr. . 

A.  I  was  detained  by  a  perplexing  affair  I  had  upon  my  hands  : 
but  I  have  got  rid  of  it  to  my  satisfaction. 

B.  I  am  very  glad  of  it ;  for  we  wanted  you  extremely  to  finish  the 
subject  we  were  talking  of  in  the  morning. 

C.  Since  I  parted  with  you,  Sir,  I  heard  a    sermon  at ,  and  I 

thought  of  you.     The  preacher  spoke  in  a  very  edifying  manner  :  but 
I  question  whether  the  common  people  understood  him  or  not. 

A.  It  happens  but  too  often  (as  I  heard  an  ingenious  lady  observe,) 
that  our  preachers  speak  Latin  in  English.  The  most  essential  qual- 
ity of  a  good  preacher  is  to  be  instructive  :*  but  he  must  have  great 
abilities  and  experience  to  make  him  so.t     On  the  one  hand  he  must 

*  As  I  take  it,  the  two  principal  branches  of  preaching  are,  first,  to  tell  the 
people  what  is  their  duty,  and  then  to  convince  them  that  it  is  so.  The  topics 
for  both  these,  we  know,  are  brought  from  scripture  and  reason.  Upon  the 
former,  I  wish  it  were  often  practised  to  instruct  the  hearers  in  the  limits,  ex- 
tent and  compass  of  every  duty  ;  which  requires  a  good  deal  of  skill  and  judge- 
ment ;  the  other  branch  is,  I  think,  not  so  difficult.  But  what  I  would  offer 
upon  both,  is  this,  that  it  seems  to  be  in  the  power  of  a  reasonable  clergyman, 
if  he  will  be  at  the  pains,  to  make  the  most  ignorant  man  comprehend  what  is 
his  duty,  and  to  convince  him  by  arguments  drawn  to  the  level  of  his  under- 
standing, that  he  ought  to  perform  it.     Swift. 

+  At  the  bar,  in  the  senate,  on  the  bench  of  justice,  and  in  the  chair  of  state, 
it  is  admitted  that  a  sound  and  cultivated  understanding  is  necessary.  Shall 
a  weak,  honest  man  then,  be  deemed  adequate  to  the  discharge  of  duties  which 
made  the  chiefest  of  the  apostles  exclaim,  "  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?" 
An  illiterate  physician  injures  our  health;  an  unskilful  advocate  sacrifices  our 
money  ;  a  weak  general  frustrates  a  campaign.  What  then  ?  An  incompetent 
spiritual  guide  endangers  our  souls.  Talent  and  science  are  far,  far  less  ne- 
cessary to  the  emperor.,  than  to  the  preacher.  The  former  may  do  his  business 
by  proxy  ;  or  if  not  done,  still  only  temporal  interests  sufi"er.  But  the  preach- 
er's work  is  to  be  done  by  himself.^  and  if  done  unskilfully,  the  evil  is  irrepara- 
ble and  eternal.  Next  to  piety,  he  needs  sound,  practical  good  sense.  He  needs 
this,  among  a  thousand  reasons,  to  preserve  him  from  mistaking  affectation  of 
originality,  for  great  genius  ;  rhapsody,  for  eloquence;  and  turgid  declama- 
tion, for  powerful  instruction.  To  secure  the  respect  of  intelligent  hearers,  he 
needs  a  deep  and  steady  judgement,  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  men.  Eras- 
mus, who  has  been  regarded  as  a  sort  of  oracle  on  this  subject,  says ;  "•  It  is  not 
enough  to  know  what  should  be  spoken,  without  knowing  when,  to  whom,  how, 
with  what  words,  in  what  order,  with  what  ornament,  with  what  action," 
God  forbid,  that  talent  or  learning  should  be  exalted  at  the  expense  of  piety. 
"  Let  the  collected  wisdom  of  Greece  and  Rome  bow  before  the  cross.   At  the 


80  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOaUENCE. 

be  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  force  of  scripture  expressions :  oa 
the  other,  he  must  understand  the  capacity  of  those  to  whom  he  preach- 
es ;  and  adapt  himself  to  it.  Now  this  requires  a  solid  knowledge, 
and  great  discernment.  Preachers  speak  every  day  to  people  of  the 
scripture,  the  church,  the  Mosaic  law,  the  gospel  ;  of  sacrifices ;  of 
Moses,  and  Aaron,  and  Melchisedec  ;  of  the  prophets  and  apostles; 
but  there  is  not  sufficient  care  taken  to  instruct  the  people  in  the  true 
meaning  of  these  things,  and  in  the  characters  of  those  holy  persons. 
/  One  might  follow  some  preachers  twenty  years,  without  getting  suffi- 
cient knowledge  of  religion. 

B.  Do  you  think  that  people  are  really  ignorant  of  those  things 
you  mentioned. 

C.  For  my  part  I  believe  they  are  ;  and  that  few  or  none  under- 
stand them  enough  to  receive  any  benefit  from  sermons. 

B.  That  may  be  true  of  the  lowest  rank  of  people. 

C.  Well  ;  ought  not  they  to  be  instructed  as  well  as  others  ?  Do 
not  they  make  up  the  bulk  of  mankind  ? 

A.  The  truth  is,  persons  of  rank  and  fashion  have  but  little  more 
knowledge  of  religion   than  the  common  people.     There   are    always 

/  three  fourth  parts  of  an  ordinary  audience,  who  do  not  know  those 
j  first  principles  of  religion,  in  which  the  preacher  supposes  every  one 
V  to  be  fully  instructed. 

B.  Would  you  then  have  him  explain  the  catechism  in  his  sermons 
to  a  polite  congregation  ? 

A.  I  grant  there  is  a  due  regard  to  be  had  to  an  audience  ;  and 
discretion  to  be  used  in  adapting  a  discourse  to  their  capacity.  But 
still,  without  giving  the  least  offence,  a  preacher  might  remind  the  most 
discerning  hearers  of  those  passages  of  the  sacred  history,  which  ex- 
plain the  origin  and  institution  of  holy  things.  This  way  of  having 
recourse  to  the  first  foundations  of  religion,  would  be  so  far  from  seem- 
ing low,  that  it  would  give  most  discourses  that  force  and  beauty 
which  they  generally  want.  This  is  particularly  true  with  regard  to 
the  mysteries  of  religion  ;  for  the  hearers  can  never  be  instructed,  nor 
persuaded,  if  you  do  not  trace  things  back  to  their  source.  For  ex- 
ample, how  can  you  make  them  understand  what  the  church  says,  af- 

altar  of  God  we  would  kindle  the  torch  of  science  ;  and  when  kindled  let  it  be 
quenched  without  scruple,  if  it  does  not,  like  the  star  of  Bethlehem,  conduct 
to  the  Saviour."  But  surely,  he  will  be  most  likely  to  be  an  able  instrucler, 
who  is  himself  wise  and  well  instructed.  With  a  good  understanding;,  replen- 
ished by  extensive  reading',  he  can  make  his  knowledge  of  languages,  of  orien- 
tal antiquities  and  usages,  philosophy,  logic,  histoiy,  criticism  and  eloquence, 
all  tributary  to  the  grand  purpose  of  explaining  and  enforcing  the  sacred  truthi 
of  the  bible.     Editor. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  81 

ter  St.  Paul,*  that  Jesus  Christ  is  our  Passover,  if  you  do  not  explain 
to  them  the  Jewish  Passover,  which  was  appointed  to  be  a  perpetual 
memorial  of  their  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  to  typify  a  more  impor- 
tant redemption  that  was  reserved  for  the  Messiah.  It  is  for  this  rea- 
son, I  said  that  almost  every  thing  in  religion  is  historical.  And  if 
preachers  would  have  a  full  knowledge  of  this  truth,  they  must  be  ve- 
ry conversant  in  the  scripture. 

B.  You  must  excuse  my  interrupting  you  on  this  subject :  Sir, 
you  told  us  in  the  morning,  that  the  scriptures  are  eloquent ;  and  I 
was  glad  to  hear  you  say  so.  Let  me  intreat  you  to  show  us  how  we 
may  discern  the  beauties  of  scripture  ;  and  in  what  its  eloquence  con- 
sists. The  Latin  Bible  seems  to  me  most  vulgar  and  inaccurate.  I 
see  no  delicacy  in  it.     What  is  it  then  that  you  so  much  admire  ? 

A.  The  Latin  is  only  a  literal  version,  in  which,  out  of  respect  to 
the  original,  there  are  many  Greek  and  Hebrew  phrases  retained. 
Do  you  despise  Homer  because  he  has  been  sorrily  translated  into 
French  ] 

B.  But  the  Greek  itself  (which  is  the  original  language  of  the  New 
Testament)  appears  to  me  very  coarse  and  unpolite. 

A.  The  apostles  were  not  acquainted  with  the  genuine  Greek,  but 
used  that  corrupted  kind  which  prevailed  among  the  Hellenistical 
Jews.  For  this  reason  St.  Paul  says  ;t  '  I  am  rude  in  speech,  but  not 
in  knowledge.'  It  is  very  obvious  that  the  apostle  here  only  meant  he 
was  not  a  master  of  the  Greek  tongue  ;  though  he  solidly  explained 
the  doctrine  of  the  holy  scripture. 

C.  Had  not  the  apostles  the  gift  of  speaking  unknown  tongues  ? 

A.  Undoubtedly;  and  they  even  conveyed  that  gift  to  great  num- 
bers of  their  illiterate  converts.  But  as  for  the  languages  that  the 
apostles  had  learnt  in  a  natural  way,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  permitted  them  to  speak  as  they  did  before.  St. 
Paul,  who  was  a  citizen  of  Tarsus,  in  Cilicia,  naturally  spake  the  cor- 
rupted Greek  used  among  the  Jews  there  ;  and  we  find  that  this  is 
the  language  he  wrote  in.  St.  Luke  seems  to  have  understood  Greek 
a  little  better. 

C.  But  I  always  thought  that  in  the  passage  you  mentioned, 
St.  Paul  gave  up  all  pretences  to  oratory  ;  and  regarded  nothing  but 
the  simplicity  of  the  evangelical  doctrnie.  Nay,  I  have  heard  sev- 
eral persons  of  worth  and  good  judgement  affirm,  that  the  holy  scrip- 
ture is  not  eloquent.     St.   Jerome  was  punished  for  being  disgusted 

*  1  Cor.  V.  7.  i  2  Cor.  xi.  16. 

11 


82  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

at  the  simplicity  of  scripture,  and  liking  Tully  better.  St.  Austia 
(in  his  confessions)  seems  to  have  fallen  into  the  same  fault.  Did 
not  God  intend  to  try  our  faith  by  the  obscurity,  and  even  by  the  low- 
ness  of  the  scripture  style,  as  well  as  by  the  poverty  of  our  Redeem- 
er ? 

A.  You  seem,  Sir,  to  carry  this  point  too  far.  Whether  do  you 
choose  to  believe  St.  Jerome,  when  he  was  punished  for  having  follow- 
ed his  youthful  studies  too  closely  in  his  retreat ;  or  when  he  had 
made  the  greatest  progress  both  in  sacred  and  profane  learning  ;  and, 
in  an  epistle  to  Paulinus,  invited  him  to  study  the  scripture ;  assuring 
him  that  he  would  find  more  charms  in  the  prophets  than  he  had  dis- 
covered in  the  heathen  poets  ?  Or,  was  St.  Austin's  judgement  bet- 
ter in  his  youth,  when  the  seeming  meanness  of  the  sacred  style  dis- 
gusted him  ;  than  when  he  composed  his  books  of  the  Christian  Doc- 
trine ?  There  he  often  says,  that  St.  Paul  was  powerfully  persuasive  ; 
and  that  the  torrent  of  his  eloquence  must  be  perceived  by  the  most 
unattentive  reader.  He  adds,  that  in  the  apostle,  wisdom  did  not 
seek  after  the  beauty  of  language  ;  but  that  the  beauties  of  language 
offered  themselves,  and  attended  his  wisdom.  He  quotes  many  lofty 
passages  of  his  epistles  ;  wherein  he  shows  all  the  art  and  address  of 
the  heathen  orators  far  outdone.  St.  Austin  excepts  only  two  things 
in  this  comparison  :  he  says,  that  these  orators  studied  the  ornaments 
of  eloquence  ;  but  that  the  beauties  of  oratory  naturally  followed  St. 
Paul,  and  others  of  the  sacred  writers.  And  then  he  owns  that  he 
did  not  sufficiently  understand  the  delicacies  of  the  Greek  tongue,  to 
be  a  competent  judge,  whether  there  be  the  same  numbers  and  ca- 
dence of  periods  in  the  sacred  text,  that  we  meet  with  in  profane  au- 
thors. I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  he  quotes  that  passage  of  the  prophet 
Amos  which  begjins  thus  :  '  Wo  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion,  and 
trust  in  the  mountain  of  Samaria  :'*  and  assures  us  that  in  this  place 
the  prophet  has  surpassed  every  thing  that  is  sublime  in  the  heatheni 
orators. 

C  But  how  do  you  understand  these  words  of  St.  Paul  :t  "  My 
speech  and  my  preaching  was  not  with  the  enticing  (persuasive)  words 
of  man's  wisdom  ?"  Does  he  not  tell  the  Corinthians  that  he  came  not 
to  preach  Christ  to  them,  with  the  sublimity  of  discourse  and  of  wis- 
dom ;  that  he  "  knew  nothing  among  them  but  Jesus,  and  him  cruci- 
fied :"  that  his  preaching  was  founded,  not  upon  the  persuasive  lan- 
guage of  human  wisdom  and  learning,  but  upon  the  sensible  effects  of 
the  Spirit  and  the  power  of  God  ;  to  the  end  (as  he  adds)  "  that  their 

*  Ch.  vi.  t  1  Cor.  xi.  4. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  83l 

fiiith  should  not  depend  upon  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  on  the  power  of 
God  ?"  What  is  the  meaning  of  these  words,  Sir?  What  stronger 
expressions  could  the  apostle  use  to  condemn  this  art  of  persuasion 
that  you  would  establish  1  For  my  part,  I  freely  own  that  at  first  I 
was  glad  when  you  censured  all  those  affected  ornaments  of  discourse 
that  vain  declaimers  are  so  fond  of:  but  the  sequel  of  your  scheme 
does  not  answer  the  pious  beginning  of  it.  I  find  that  you  would  still 
make  preaching  a  human  art,  and  banish  apostolical  simplicity  from 
the  pulpit. 

A.  Though  you  judge  very  unfavourably  of  ray  esteem  for  elo- 
quence, I  am  not  dissatisfied  at  the  zeal  with  which  you  censure  it. 
However,  Sir,  let  us  endeavour  to  understand  one  another  aright. 
There  are  several  worthy  persons  who  judge,  with  you,  that  eloquent 
preaching  is  repugnant  to  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel.  But  when  we 
have  mutually  explained  our  sentiments,  perhaps  they  may  be  found 
to  agree.  What  then  do  you  mean  by  simplicity  1  And  what  do  you 
call  eloquence  ? 

C.  By  simplicity,  I  mean  a  discourse  without  any  artifice  or  mag- 
nificence. By  eloquence,  I  mean  a  discourse  full  of  art  and  orna- 
ments. 

A.  When  you  require  an  artless,  simple  discourse,  would  you 
have  it  without  order,  and  connexion ;  without  solid  and  convincing 
proofs  ;  and  without  a  proper  method  for  instructing  the  ignorant  ? 
Would  you  have  a  preacher  say  nothing  that  is  pathetic,  and  never  en- 
deavour to  affect  the  heart  ? 

C.  Far  from  it ;  I  would  have  a  discourse  that  both  instructs  and 
moves  people. 

A.  That  would  make  it  eloquent ;  for  we  have  seen  before,  that 
eloquence  is  the  art  of  instructing  and  persuading  men,  by  moving 
their  passions. 

C.  I  grant  that  preachers  ought  to  convince  and  affect  their  hear- 
ers ;  but  I  would  have  them  to  do  it  without  art,  by  an  apostolical 
simplicity. 

A.  The  more  artless  and  natural  such  a  convincing,  persuasive 
eloquence  is,  it  must  be  the  more  powerful.  But  let  us  inquire  wheth- 
the  art  of  persuasion  be  inconsistent  with  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel. 
"What  mean  you  by  art  1 

C.  I  mean  a  system  of  rules  that  men  have  invented,  and  usually 
observe  in  their  discourses,  to  make  them  more  beautiful,  elegant,  and 
pleasing. 

A.  If  by  art  you  only  mean  this  invention  to  render  a  discourse 


84  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

more  handsome  and  polished  in  order  to  please  people ;  I  will  not 
dispute  with  you  about  words  ;  but  will  readily  acknowledge  that  this 
art  ought  not  to  be  admitted  into  sermons  ;  for,  (as  we  agreed  be- 
fore,) this  vanity  is  unworthy  of  eloquence,  and  far  more  unbecoming 
the  sacred  function.  This  is  the  very  point  about  which  I  reasoned 
so  much  with  Mr.  B.  But  if  by  art  and  eloquence,  you  mean  what 
the  most  judicious  writers  among  the  ancients  understood,  we  must 
then  set  a  just  value  upon  eloquence. 

C.  What  did  they  understand  by  it  ? 

A.  According  to  them  the  art  of  eloquence  comprehends  those 
means,  that  wise  reflection  and  experience  have  discovered,  to  render 
a  discourse  proper  to  persuade  men  of  the  truth  ;  and  to  engage  them 
to  love  and  obey  it.  And  this  is  what  you  think  every  preacher  should 
be  able  to  do.  For  did  you  not  say  that  you  approved  of  order, 
and  a  right  manner  of  instruction  ;  solidity  of  reasoning,  and  pathetic 
movements ;  I  mean  such  as  can  touch  and  affect  people's  hearts  1 
Now  this  is  what  I  call  eloquence ;  you  may  give  it  what  name  you 
please. 

C  Now  I  comprehend  your  notion  of  eloquence  ;  and  I  cannot 
but  acknowledge  that  such  a  manly,  grave,  serious  manner  of  persua- 
sion would  much  become  the  pulpit ;  and  that  it  seems  even  necessa- 
ry to  instruct  people  with  success.  But  how  do  you  understand  those 
words  of  St.  Paul  that  I  quoted  before  1  Do  they  not  expressly  con- 
demn eloquence? 

A.  In  order  to  explain  the  apostle's  words,  let  me  ask  you  a  few 
questions. 

C.  As  many  as  you  please.  Sir. 

A.  Is  it  not  true  that  the  apostle  argues  with  wonderful  strength 
in  his  epistles  ?  Does  he  not  reason  finely  against  the  heathen  phi- 
losophers, and  the  Jews,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans  ?  Is  there  not 
great  force  in  what  he  says  concerning  the  inability  of  the  Mosaic  law 
to  justify  men  ? 

C.  Certainly. 

A.  Is  there  not  a  chain  of  solid  reasoning  in  his  epistle  to  the  He- 
brews, about  the  insufficiency  of  the  ancient  sacrifices  ;  the  rest  that 
David  promised  to  the  children  of  God,  besides  that  which  the  Israel- 
ites enjoyed  in  Palestine  after  Joshua's  days;  concerning  the  order  of 
Aaron,  and  that  of  Melchisedec  ;  and  the  spiritual  and  eternal  cove- 
nant that  behoved  to  succeed  the  carnal  and  earthly  one,  which  was 
established  by  the  mediation  of  Moses,  for  a  time  only  ?     Are  not  the 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  85 

apostle's  arguments  on  these  several  subjects  very  strong  and  conclu- 
sive ?* 

C.  I  think  they  are. 

A.  When  St.  Paul,  therefore,  disclaimed  the  use  of  "  the  persua- 
sive words  of  man's  wisdom,"  he  did  not  mean  to  condemn  true  wis- 
dom, and  the  force  of  reasoning. 

C.  That  appears  plainly  from  his  own  example. 

A.  Why  then  do  you  think  that  he  meant  to  condemn  solid  elo- 
quence, any  more  than  true  wisdom  1 

C.  Because  he  expressly  rejects  eloquence  in  that  passage,  which 
I  desired  you  to  explain. 

A.  But  doth  he  not  likewise  disclaim  wisdom  ?  The  place  seems 
to  be  more  express  against  wisdom,  and  human  reasoning,  than  against 
eloquence.  And  yet  he  himself  reasoned  frequently  ;  and  was  very 
eloquent.  You  grant  that  he  argued  well ;  and  St.  Austin  assures 
you  that  the  apostle  was  an  orator. 

C.  You  plainly  point  out  the  difficulty  ;  but  you  do  not  answer  it. 
Pray,  show  us  how  it  is  to  be  solved. 

A.  St.  Paul  reasoned  much;  he  persuaded  effectually:  so  that 
he  was  really  an  excellent  philosopher  and  an  orator.  But  as  he  tells 
us  in  the  place  you  quoted  ;  his  preaching  was  not  founded  on  hu- 
man reasoning,  nor  on  the  art  of  persuasion.  It  was  a  ministry  of 
divine  institution,  that  owed  its  efficacy  to  God  alone.t     The  conver- 

*  The  eloquence  of  St.  Paul,  in  most  of  his  speeches  and  argumentations, 
bears  a  very  great  resemblance  to  that  of  Demosthenes.  Some  important  point 
being  always  uppermost  in  his  view,  he  often  leaves  his  subject,  and  flies  from 
it  with  brave  irregularity,  and  as  unexpectedly  again  returns  to  his  subject, 
when  one  would  imagine  that  he  had  entirely  lost  sight  of  it.  For  instance,  in 
his  defence  before  king  Agrippa,  v3c/*,  Chap,  xxvi.,  when,  in  order  to  wipe  oflf 
the  aspersions  thrown  upon  him  by  the  Jews,  that  ht  was  a  turbulent  and  sedi- 
tious person^  he  sets  out  with  clearing  his  character,  proviiig  the  integrity  of  his 
morals,  and  his  inoffensive,  unblameable  behaviour,  as  one  who  hoped,  by 
those  means,  to  attain  that  happiness  of  another  life,  for  which  the  twelve  tribes 
served  God  continually  in  the  temple  ;  on  a  sudden  he  drops  the  continuation  of 
his  defence,  and  cries  out,  "  Why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  with 
you,  that  God  should  raise  the  dead  ?"  It  might  be  reasonably  expected,  that 
this  would  be  the  end  of  his  argument  ;  but  by  flying  to  it,  in  so  quick  and  un- 
expected a  transition,  he  catches  his  audience  before  they  are  aware,  and 
strikes  dumb  his  enemies,  though  they  will  not  be  convinced.  And  this  point 
being  once  carried,  he  comes  about  again  as  unexpectedly,  by,  I  verily  thought 
&c.,  and  goes  on  with  his  detence,  till  it  brings  him  again  to  the  same  point, 
of  the  Resurrection,  in  verse  23.  Smith''s  Longinus. 

t  On  the  one  hand,  it  deserves  attention,  that  the  most  eminent  and  suc- 
cessful preachers  of  the  gospel  in  different  communities,  a  Brainerd,  a  Baxter, 
and  a  Schwartz,  have  been  the  most  conspicuous  for  a  simple  depr-ndence  up- 
on spiritual  aid  ;  and,  on  the  other,  that  no  success  whatever  has  attended  the 
ministrations  of  those  by  whom  this  doctrine  has  been  either  neglected  or  de- 
nied.    They  have  met  with  such  a  rebuke  of  their  presumption,   in  the  total 


S(i  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

sion  of  the  whole  world  was,  according  to  the  ancient  prophecies,  to 
be  the  great  and  standing  miracle  of  the  Christian  religion.  This 
was  the  kingdom  of  God  that  came  from  heaven  ;  and  was  to  convert 
and  reduce  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  to  the  worship  and  service  of 
the  true  God.  Jesus  Christ  crucified,  by  his  being  declared  to  them, 
was  to  draw  them  all  to  himself,  merely  by  the  power  of  his  cross. 
The  philosophers  had  reasoned  and  disputed,  without  converting  ei- 
ther themselves,  or  others.  The  Jews  had  been  intrusted  with  a  law 
that  showed  them  their  miseries,  but  could  not  relieve  them.  All 
mankind  were  convinced  of  the  general  disorder  and  corruption  that 
reigned  among  them.  Jesus  Christ  came  with  his  cross ;  that  is,  he 
came  poor,  humble,  and  suffering  for  us.  To  silence  our  vain,  pre- 
sumptuous reason,  he  did  not  argue  like  the  philosophers;  but  he  de- 
termined with  authority.  By  his  miracles,  and  his  grace,  he  showed 
that  he  was  above  all.  That  he  might  contbund  ihe  false  wisdom  of 
men,  he  sets  before  them  the  seeming  folly  and  scandal  of  his  cross ; 
that  is,  the  example  of  his  profound  humiliation.  That,  which  man- 
kind reckoned  iully,*  and  at  whicli  they  were  most  offended,  was  the 
very  thing,  that  should  convert  and  lead  them  to  God.  They  want- 
ed to  be  cured  of  their  pride,  and  their  excessive  love  of  sensible  ob- 
jects :  and  to  affect  them  the  more,  God  showed  them  his  Son  cruci- 
fied. The  apostles  preached  him;  and  walked  in  his  steps.  They 
had  not  recourse  to  any  human  means,  neither  to  philosophy,  nor  rhet- 
oric, nor  policy,  nor  wealth,  nor  authority.  God  would  have  the  sole  glo- 
ry of  his  work  :  and  the  success  of  it,  to  depend  entirely  on  himself:  he 
therefore  chose  what  is  weak  ;  and  rejected  what  is  strong;  to  dis- 
play his  power  in  the  most  sensible  manner.  He  brought  all  out  of 
nothing  in  the  conversion  of  the  world,  as  well  as  at  the  creation  of 
it.  That  work  therefore  had  this  divine  character  stamped  upon  it, 
that  it  was  not  founded  upon  any  thing  that  the  world  admired,  or 
valued.  It  would  only  have  weakened  and  frustrated  the  wonderful 
power  of  the  cross  (as  St.  Paul  says'!)  to  ground  the  preaching  of  the 

failure  of  their  efforts,  that  none  will  contend  for  the  reality  of  divine  interpo- 
sition, as  far  as  they  are  concerned ;  for  when  has  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been 
revealed  to  those  pretended  teachers  of  Cbristiauity,  who  believe  there  is  no 
such  arm?  We  must  Kave  them  to  labour  in  a  fit  Id,  respecting  which  God 
has  commanded  the  clouds  not  to  rain  upon  it.  As  if  conscious  of  this,  of  late 
they  have  turned  their  efforts  into  a  new  channel,  and,  despairing  of  the  con- 
version of  sinners,  have  confined  themselves  to  the  seduction  of  the  faithful  ; 
in  which,  it  must  be  confessed,  they  have  acted  in  a  manner  perfectly  consist- 
ent with  their  principles ;  the  propagation  of  heresy  requiring,  at  least,  no  di- 
vine assistance. 

Hall  on  the  discouragements  and  supports  of  the  christian  ministry. 

*  1  Cor.  i.  23,  25.  t  1  Cor.  i.  17. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOaUENCE.  87 

gospel  upon  natural  means.  It  was  necessary  that  without  human 
help,  the  gospel  should  of  itself  open  people's  hearts  ;  and  by  that  pro- 
digious efficacy  show  mankind  that  it  came  from  God.  Thus  was  hu- 
man wisdom  confounded,  and  rejected.  Now,  what  must  we  con- 
clude from  hence  ?  This  only  ;  that  the  conversion  of  the  nations, 
and  the  establishment  of  the  Christian  church,  was  not  owing  to  the 
learned  reasonings,  and  persuasive  words  of  man's  wisdom.  It  does 
not  imply  that  there  was  no  eloquence,  nor  wisdom  in  several  of  those, 
who  first  preached  the  gospel  :  but  only,  that  they  did  not  depend  on 
this  eloquent  wisdom  ;  nor  did  they  study  it  as  a  thing  that  was  to 
give  an  efficacy  to  their  doctrine.  It  was  founded  (as  the  apostle 
tells  us*)  not  upon  the  persuasive  discourses  of  human  philosophy; 
but  solely  upon  the  effects  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  power  of  God  ;  that 
is,  upon  the  miracles  that  struck  the  eyes  and  minds  of  men,  and  up- 
on the  inward  operation  of  the  divine  grace. 

C.  According  to  your  reasoning,  then,  they  make  void  the  effica- 
cy of  our  Saviour's  cross,  who  ground  their  preaching  upon  human 
wisdom  and  eloquence. 

A.  Undoubtedly.  The  ministry  of  the  word  is  entirely  built  up- 
on faith  :  and  the  preachers  of  it  ought  to  pray  and  purify  their  hearts, 
and  expect  all  their  success  from  heaven.  They  should  arm  them- 
selves with  'the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God  ;'  and 
not  depend  on  their  own  abilities.!  This  is  the  necessary  prepara- 
tion for  preaching  the  gospel.  But  though  the  inward  fruit  and 
success  of  it  must  be  ascribed  to  grace  alone,  and  the  efficacy  of 
God's  word  ;  there  are  yet  some  things  that  man  is  to  do  on  his  part. 

C.  Hitherto  you  have  talked  very  solidly  :  but  1  see  plainly  you 
are  now  returning  to  your  first  opinion. 

*  Ovy.  iv  nti&otg  ar^^wTtirr;;  aotfiag  Xoyoig 1  Cor.  ii.  4. 

+  The  preacher  peculiarly  needs  assistance  from  heaven.  He  can  neither 
rely  on  his  own  talents,  nor  trust  his  own  heart.  He  cannot  rely  on  his  fel- 
low-men. Whither  then  shall  he  look  ?  Who  shall  make  him  able,  or  faith- 
ful, or  successful  in  his  work  ?  Who  shall  open  to  him  the  treasures  of  divine 
truth  ?  Who  shall  give  him  access  to  the  hearts  of  his  hearers,  and  enable 
him  to  speak  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power  ?  Who  shall  soothe 
the  anxieties  that  agitate  his  bosom,  cheer  his  trembling  spirit,  and  guide  his 
footsteps,  in  seasons  of  despondence  ?  Who  shall  give  him  that  knowledge  of 
his  own  heart,  that  controul  of  his  temper  and  actions,  that  meekness,  fortitude 
and  exemplary  holiness,  which  become  his  sacred  office  ?  In  short,  who  shall 
secure  him  against  falling  into  foul  immorality,  or  fatal  apostasy  from  the  truth  ? 
Blessed  be  God,  that  a  poor  worm  may  ask  and  receive  help  from  him,  in  whom 
is  everlasting  strength.  W'eakness  itself  may  look  up  with  courage,  to  the 
throne  of  grace  ;  and  venture  forward  in  the  greatest  work,  relying  on  a  Sa- 
viour's all  sufficient  aid.  Yes,  blessed  be  God,  that  the  humble  minister,  while 
he  feels  himself  to  be  less  than  nothing,  may  yet  say  without  presumption  ;  "  I 
ean  do  all  things,  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  me."  Editor. 


88  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

A.  I  did  not  change  it.     Do  not  you  believe  that  the  work  of  our 
salvation  depends  upon  God's  grace  1 
C.  Yes  ;  it  is  an  article  of  faith. 

A.  You  own,  however,  that  we  ought  to  use   great  prudence  in 
choosing  a  right  station  and  conduct  in  life  ;  and  in  avoiding  danger- 
ous temptations.     Now,  do  we  make  void  the   grace  of  God,  and  its 
efficacy,    by  watching,  and   prayer,   and   a   prudent   circumspection  ? 
Certainly  not.     We  owe  all  to  God  ;  and  yet  he  obliges  us  to  comply 
with  an  external  order  of  human  means.     The  apostles  did  not   study 
the  vain  pomp,  and  trifling  ornaments  of  the  heathen  orators.     They 
did  not  fall  into  the  subtile  reasonings  of  the  philosophers,  who  made 
-all  to  depend  upon  those  airy  speculations  in  which  they  lost   them- 
selves.    The  apostles  only  preached  Jesus  Christ  with   all  the   force, 
and  magnificent  simplicity  of  the  scripture  language.     It  is  true  they 
had  no  need  of  any  preparation  for  their  ministry  ;   because  the   Spir- 
it, who  descended  upon   them   in  a  sensible   manner,    supplied   them 
with  words  in  preaching  the  gospel.     The  difference  then  betwixt  the 
apostle^;,  and  their  successors  in  the  ministry,  is,  that  these,  not  being 
miraculously  inspired  like  the  apostles,  have  need  to  prepare  them- 
selves, and  to  fill  their  minds  with  the  doctrine  and  spirit  of  the  scrip- 
ture, to  form  their  discourses.     But  this  preparation  should  never  lead 
them  to  preach  in  a  more  artless  manner  than  the  apostles.     Would 
you  not  be  satisfied  if  preachers  used  no  more  ornaments  in  their  ser- 
mons than  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  St.  James,  St.  Jude,  and  St.  John  did? 
C.  I  think  I  ought  to  require  no  more,     And  I  must  confess  that 
since  (as  you  say)  eloquence  consists  chiefly  in  the  order,   force,   and 
propriety  of  the  words  by  which  men  are  persuaded  and   moved ;  it 
does  not  give  me  so  much  offence  as  it  did.     I  always  reckoned  elo- 
quence to  be  an  art  that  is  inconsistent  with  the  simplicity  of  the  gos- 
pel. 

A.  There  are  two  sorts  of  people  that  have  this  notion  of  it ;  the 
false  orators,  who  are  widely  mistaken  in  seeking  after  eloquence 
amidst  a  vain  pomp  of  words  ;  and  some  pious  persons  who  have  no 
great  depth  of  knowledge  :  but  though  out  of  humility  they  avoid  that 
false  rhetoric,  which  consists  in  a  gaudy,  ostentatious  style ;  they  yet 
aim  at  true  eloquence,  by  striving  to  persuade,  and  move  their  hear- 
ers. 

C.  I  now  understand  your  notions  exactly  well :  let  us  now  return 
to  the  eloquence  of  the  scripture. 

A.  In  order  to  perceive  it,  nothing  is  more  useful  than  to  have  a 
just  taste  of  the  ancient  simplicity  :  and  this  may  best  be  obtained  by 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  89 

reading  the  most  ancient  Greek  authors.*      I  say  the  most  ancient ; 
for  those  Greeks  whom  the  Romans  so  justly  despised,  and  called  Grse- 
culi,  were  then  entirely  degenerate.     As  I  told  you  before,  you  ought 
to  be  perfectly  acquainted  with  Homer,  Plato,  Xenophon,  and  the  oth- 
er earliest  writers.     After  that,   you  will    be  no  more  surprised  at  the 
plamness  of  the  scripture  style  ;  for  in  them  you  will   find   almost  the 
same  kind  of  customs,  the  same  artless  narrations,  the  same  images 
of  great  things,  and  the  same   movements.     The   difference   between  -i 
them  upon  comparison  is  much  to  the  honour  of  the  scripture.   It  sur-  I 
passes  them  vastly  in  native  simplicity,  liveliness,  and  grandeur.    Ho- 
mer himself  never  reached  the  sublimity  of  Moses'   songs;  especially 
the  last,  which  all   the  Israelitish   children   were   to   learn   by  heart. 
Never  did  any  ode,  either  Greek  or  Latin,  come  up  to  the  loftiness  of 
the   Psalms  ;    particularly   that   which  begins  thus  :t    "  The   mighty 
God,  even  the  Lord  hath  spoken,'  surpasses  the  utmost  stretch  of  hu- 
man invention.     Neither    Homer  nor  any  other  poet  ever   equalled 
Isaiahj  describing  the  majesty  of  God,  in  whose  sight  the  '  nations  of 
the  earth  are  as  the  small  dust ;  yea,  less  than   nothing  and  vanity  ;* 
seeing  it  is  '  He  that  stretclieth   out  the   heavens  like  a  curtain,  and 
spreadeth  them  out  as  a  tent  to  dwell   in.'     Sometimes  this   prophet 
has  all  the  sweetness  of  an  eclogue,  in  the  smiling  images  he  gives  us 
of  peace ;  and  sometimes  he  soars  so  high  as  to  leave  every   thing  be- 
low him.     What  is  there  in  antiquity   that  can    be   compared   to  the 
Lamentations  of  Jeremiah,  when  he  tenderly  deplores  the  miseries  of 
his  country?  or  to  the  prophecy  of Nahum,  when  he  foresees,  in  spir- 
it, the  proud  Nineveh  fall  under  the  rage  of  an  invincible  army  ?    We 
fancy  that  we  see  the  army,  and  hear  the  noise  of  arms  and  chariots. 
Every  thing  is  painted  in  such  a  lively  manner  as  strikes   the   imagi- 
nation.    The  prophet  far  outdoes  Homer.     Read  likewise  Daniel  de- 
nouncing to  Belshazzar   the   divine   vengeance   ready  to   overwhelm 
him  ;  and  try  if  you  can  find  any  thing  in  the  most  sublime   originals 
of  antiquity  that  can  be  compared  to  those  passages  of  sacred  writ. 
As  for  the  rest  of  scripture,  every^  portion  of  it   is  uniform   and   con- 
sistent ;  every  part  bears  the  peculiar  character  that  becomes  it ;  the 
history,  the  particular  detail  of  laws,  the  descriptions,  the  vehement 
and  pathetic  passages,  the  mysteries,  and  prophecies,  and  moral  dis- 


*  EySny.vvrai  S"  ijiiv  ovtoq  6  avtjQ  (^IIJATiiN')  ii  (tovHoiiti^u  ^irj  xuroXtyoQeaai, 
<o;  xai  akh]  ng  nanara  ttQt^uiva  oSug  s.ie  tu  I'tptjXu  Ttirit'  Tlutu  vi  r.ixi  Ti?  «''T>;  ; 
^  Twv  iu/inoa9(i-  ^ityaf.wv  ai;yyna(iivv  xui  TtoitjTwv ftifitjOig  xt  y.ut  lifXtuOi:'  Kui  Tuirov 
yt,  (pi?.rurs,  ajiQii  f^fU'jittS^u  ruv  axoixov.  Lokgi.\cs,  v  xii. 

t  Psal.  1.  1 — 6.  I  Isaiah,  xl.  9 — 28. See  chapters  xi.  and  xxxv. 

Lam.  i.  1,  2,  16,  20  ;  ii.  1,8,  11,  12,  19,  20,  21  ;  iii.  39. Nahum,  i.  3,  5,  6  ; 

ii.  1,  3,  4,  8,  9,  10  ;  iii.  3,  13,  17,  18. Daniel,  chap.,  v.  15—29. 

12 


90  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

courses ;  in  all  these  there  appears  a  natural  and  beautiful  variety.* 
In  short,  there  is  as  great  a  difference  between  the  heathen  poets,  and 
the  prophets  ;  as  there  is  between  a  false  enthusiasm,  and  the  true. 
The  sacred  writers,  being  truly  inspired,  do  in  a  sensible  manner  ex- 
press something  divine  :  while  the  others,  striving  to  soar  above  them- 
selves, always  show  human  weakness  in  their  loftiest  flights.  The 
second  book  of  Maccabees,  the  book  of  Wisdom,  especially  at  the  end, 
and  Ecclesiasticus  in  the  beginning,  discover  the  gaudy,  swelling  style 
that  the  degenerate  Greeks  had  spread  over  the  east;  where  their 
language  was  established  with  their  dominion.  But  it  would  be  in 
vain  to  enlarge  upon  all  these  particulars ;  it  is  by  reading  that  you 
must  discover  the  truth  of  them. 

JS.  I  long  to  set  about  it :  we  ought  to  apply  ourselves  to  this 
kind  of  study,  more  than  we  do, 

C  I  easily  conceive  that  the  Old  Testament  is  written  with  that 
magnificence;  and  those  lively  images  you  speak  of.  But  you  say 
nothing  of  the  simplicity  of  Christ's  words. 

A.  That  simplicity  of  style  is  entirely  according  to  the  ancient 
taste.  It  is  agreeable  both  to  Moses  and  the  prophets,  whose  expres- 
sions Christ  often  uses.  But  though  his  language  be  plain  and  famil- 
iar, it  is  however  figurative  and  sublime  in  many  places.  I  could  ea- 
sily show  by  particular  instances,  (if  we  had  the  books  here  to  con- 

*  Any  reader  will  observe,  that  there  is  a  poetical  air  in  the  predictions  of 
Balaam  in  the  xxiii.  chapter  o{  JVumbers,  and  that  there  is  particularly  an  un- 
common grandeur  in  verse  19. 

"  God  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should  lie,  neither  the  son  of  man,  that  he 
should  repent.  Hath  he  said,  and  shall  he  not  do  it  ?  or,  hath  he  spoken,  and 
shall  he  not  make  it  g^ood  ?" 

\^\  hat  is  the  cause  of  this  grandeur  will  immediately  be  seen,  if  the  sense 
be  preserved,  and  the  words  thrown  out  of  interrogation  : 

"(rod  is  not  man,  that  he  should  lie,  neither  the  son  of  man,  that  he  should 
repent.  What  he  hath  said,  he  will  do ;  and  what  he  has  spoke,  he  will 
make  good."  The  difference  is  so  visible,  that  it  is  needless  to  enlarge  upon 
it. 

How  artfully  does  St.  Paul,  in  .^cts  xxvi.  transfer  his  discourse  from  Feslus 
to  Agrip-pa.  In  ver.  26,  he  speaks  of  him  in  the  third  person.  "  The  King 
(says  he)  knoweth  of  these  things,  before  whom  I  also  spc  ak  freely — ."  Then 
in  the  following  he  turns  short  upon  him  ;  "King  Agrippa,  believest  thou  the 
priiphets  ?"  and  immediately  answers  his  own  question,  "  I  know  that  thou 
believest"  The  smoothest  eloquence,  the  most  insinuating  complaisance, 
could  never  have  made  such  impression  on  Agrippa,  as  this  unexpected  and 
pathetic  address. 

To  these  instances  may  be  added  the  whole  xxxviii.  chapter  oi  Job  ;  where 
We  behold  the  Almighty  Creator  expostulating  with  his  creature,  in  terms 
which  express  at  once  the  majesty  and  perf-ction  of  the  one,  the  meanness 
and  frailty  of  the  other.  There  we  see  how  vastly  useful  the  figure  of  inter- 
rogation  is,  in  giving  us  a  lofty  idea  of  the  Deity,  while  every  question  awes  us 
luto  silence,  and  inspires  a  sense  of  our  own  insutficiency.     Smith''s  Longiniu-, 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  9i 

suit,)  that  we  have  not  a  preacher  of  this  age,  who  is  so  figurative  in 
his  most  studied  sermons,  as  Jesus  Christ  was  in  his  must  popular  i 
discourses.  I  do  not  mean  those  that  St.  John  relates,  where  almost 
every  thing  is  sensibly  divine  :  I  speak  of  his  most  familiar  discour- 
ses recorded  by  the  other  evangelists.  The  apostles  wrote  in  the 
same  manner  ;  with  this  difference ;  that  Jesus  Christ  being  master 
of  his  doctrine,  delivers  it  calmly.  He  says  just  what  he  pleases  ;  and 
speaks,  with  the  utmost  easiness,  of  the  heavenly  kingdom  and  glo- 
ry, as  of  his  father's  house.*  All  those  exalted  things  that  astonish 
us,  were  natural  and  familiar  to  him:  he  is  born  there;  and  only 
tells  us  what  he  saw  ;t  as  he  himself  declares.  On  the  contrary,  the 
apostles|  sunk  under  the  weight  of  the  truths  that  were  revealed  to 
them ;  they  want  words,  and  are  not  able  to  express  their  ideas.§ 
Hence  flow  those  digressions  and  obscure  passages  in  St.  Paul's 
writings,  and  those  transpositions  of  his  thoughts,  which  show  his 
mind  was  transported  with  the  abundance  and  greatness  of  the  truths 
that  offered  themselves  to  his  attention.  All  this  irregularity  of  style 
shows  that  the  Spirit  of  God  forcibly  guided  the  minds  of  the  apos- 
tles. But  notwithstanding  these  little  disorders  of  their  style,  every 
thing  in  it  is  noble,  lively,  and  moving.  As  for  St.  John's  Revela- 
tion, we  find  in  it  the  same  grandeur  and  enthusiasm  that  there  is  in 
the  prophets.  The  expressions  are  ofttimes  the  same  ;  and  some- 
times this  resemblance  of  style  gives  a  mutual  light  to  them  both. 
You  see  therefore  that  the  eloquence  of  scripture  is  not  confined  to 
the  books  of  the  Old  Testament ;  but  is  likewise  to  be  found  in  the 
New. 

C  Supposing  the  scripture  to  be  eloquent,  what  will  you  conclude 
from  it  ? 

A.  That  those  who  preach  it,  may,  without  scruple,  imitate,  or 
rather  borrow,  its  eloquence. 

C.  We  find  that  preachers  do  choose  those  passages  they  think 
most  beautiful. 

A.  But  it  mangles  the  scripture  thus  to  show  it  to  Christians  only 
in  separate  passages.  And  however  great  the  beauty  of  such  passa- 
ges may  be,  it  can  never  be  fully  perceived,  unless  one  knows  the 
connexion  of  them  :  for,  every  thing  in  scripture   is  connected;  and 

*  John  xiv.  2.  t  Chap.  viii.  38.  %  2  ^^^-  x»-  2,  4,  7. 

i  Yet,  after  all,  there  is  often  found  in  the  apostolic  manner,  a  sublimity  of 
sentiment,  a  pomp  of  description,  a  clearness,  strength,  and  brevity  of  precept, 
a  closeness  of  appeal,  a  force  and  abruptness  of  interrogation,  a  simplicity  of 
words,  and  pathos  of  address,  that  are  admirable  in  themselves,  and  worthy 
the  imitatiou  of  every  preacher.  Furdyce^  -Art  of  Preaching. 


92 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 


this  coherence  is  the  most  great  and  wonderful  thing  to  be  seen  in 
the  sacred  writings.  For  want  of  a  due  knowledge  of  it,  preachers 
mistake  those  beautiful  passages  ;  and  put  upon  thorn  wliat  sense 
they  please.  They  content  themselves  with  some  ingenious  inter- 
pretations ;  which,  being  aroitrary,  have  no  force  to  persuade  men, 
and  to  reibrm  their  manners. 

B.  What  would  you  have  preachers  to  do  ?  Must  they  use  only 
the  language  of  scripture  ? 

A.  I  would  have  them  at  least  not  think  it  enough  to  join  togeth- 
er a  kw  passages  of  scripture  that  have  no  real  connexion.  I  would 
have  them  explain  the  principles,  and  the  series  of  the  scripture  doc- 
trine ;  and  take  the  spirit,  the  style,  and  the  figures  of  it,  that  all  their 
discourses  may  serve  to  give  people  a  right  understanding,  and  true 
relish  of  God's  word.  There  needs  no  more  to  make  preachers  elo- 
quent ;  for  by  doing  this,  they  would  imitate  the  best  model  of  an- 
cient eloquence. 

B.  But  in  this  case  we  behoved  (as  I  said  before)  to  explain  the 
several  parts  of  scripture  as  they  lie. 

A.  I  would  not  confine  all  preachers  to  this.  One  niight  make 
sermons  upon  the  scripture  without  explaining  the  several  parts  of 
it  as  they  lie.  But  it  must  be  owned  that  preaching  would  be  quite 
another  thing,  if,  according  to  ancient  custom,  the  sacred  books  were 
thus  explained  to  the  people  in  a  connected,  judicious  manner.  Con- 
sider what  authority  a  man  must  have,  who  should  say  nothing  from 
his  own  invention  ;  but  only  follow  and  explain  the  thoughts  and 
words  of  God.  Besides,  he  would  do  two  things  at  once.  By  unfold- 
ing the  truths  of  scripture,  he  would  explain  the  te.tt ;  and  accustom 
the  peo})le  to  join  always  the  sense  and  the  letter  together.  What 
advantage  must  they  not  rea[),  if  they  were  used  to  nourish  them- 
selves with  this  spiritual  bread?  An  audience,  who  had  heard  the 
chief  points  of  the  Mosaic  law  explained,  would  be  able  to  receive  far 
more  benefit  from  an  explication  of  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  than  the 
greatest  part  of  Christians  are  now.  The  preacher  we  spoke  of  be- 
fore, has  this  failing  among  many  great  qualities,  that  his  sermons  are 
trains  of  fine  reasoning  about  religion  ;  but  they  are  not  religion  it- 
self. We  apply  ourselves  too  much  to  drawing  of  moral  characters, 
and  inveighing  against  the  general  disorders  of  mankind  ;  and  we  do 
not  sufficiently  explain  the  principles  and  precepts  of  the  gospel.* 

*  See  pa?e  74 ;  the  note  on  that  page  was  intended  to  be  inserted  here. 

If  I  should  read  to  a  sick  pc-rsou  a  learned  lecture  on  the  benefit  of  htalth, 
and  exhort  him  to  takt:  care  to  recuver  it,  but  nt^er  inquire  into  the  nature  of 
his  disease  ;  or  prescribe  proper  methods  and  medicines  for  the  cure,  he  would 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  93 

C.  Preachers  choose  this  way,  because  it  is  far  easier  to  declaim 
against  the  follies  and  disorders  of  mankind,  than  to  explain  the  fun- 
damental truths  and  duties  of  religion  judiciously.  To  be  able  to 
describe  the  corruptions  of  the  age,  they  need  only  have  some  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  things  ;  and  proper  words  to  paint  them.  But  to 
set  the  great  duties  of  the  gospel  in  a  just  light,  requires  an  attentive 
meditation  and  study  of  the  holy  scriptures.  There  are  but  few  I 
preachers  who  have  such  a  solid,  comprehensive  knowledge  of  relig-  I 
ion  as  can  enable  them  to  explain  it  clearly  to  others.  Nay,  there 
are  some  who  make  pretty  discourses;  and  yet  could  not  catechise 
the  people,  and  far  less  make  a  good  homily. 

A.  Very  true  ;  it  is  here  that  our  preachers  are  most  defective. 
Most  of  their  fine  sermons  contain  only  philosophical  reasonings. 
Sometimes  they  preposterously  quote  scripture  only  for  the  sake  of 
decency  or  ornament ;  and  it  is  not  then  regarded  as  the  word  of 
God  ;  but  as  the  invention  of  men. 

C.  You  will  grant,  I  hope,  that  the  labours  of  such  men  tend  to 
make  void  the  cross  of  Christ. 

A.  I  give  them  up  ;  and  contend  only  for  the  eloquence  of  scripture 
which  evangelical  preachers  ought  to  imitate.  So  that  we  are  agreed 
on  this  point ;  provided  you  will  not  excuse  some  zealous  preachers, 
who,  under  pretence  of  apostolical  simplicity,  do  not  effectually  study 
either  the  doctrine  of  scripture,  or  the  powerful  manner  of  persuasion 
that  we  are  taught  there.  They  imagine  that  they  need  only  bawl, 
and  speak  often  of  hell  and  the  devil.  Now  without  doubt  a  preach- 
er ought  to  affect  people  by  strong,  and  sometimes  even  by  terrible 
images  ;  but  it  is  from  the   scripture  that   he   should   learn   to   make 

hardly  acquiesce  in  me  for  his  physician,  or  resign  to  me  the  care  of  his  bodily 
health.  Nor  is  it  a  more  likely  way  to  the  soul's  health,  to  rest  in  mere  gen- 
eral exhortations  to  holiness,  ■without  distinctly  handling  the  several  branches 
thereof,  and  the  opposite  sins.  If  a  man,  professing  physic,  should  administer 
or  prescribe  one  constant  medicine  for  fevers,  and  another  for  consumptions, 
and  so  for  other  distempers,  without  considering  the  age,  constitution,  strength, 
and  way  of  living  of  his  patient ;  and  not  vary  his  method  and  medicines  as 
those  vary,  we  should  hardly  call  this  the  regular  practice  of  physic.  Nor 
can  I  think  this  general  and  undistinguished  way  will  be  more  safe,  or  likely 
to  answer  its  end,  in  divinity  than  in  medicine.  Jennings. 

We  do  not  warn  the  man  whose  house  is  on  fire,  by  the  abstract  assurance 
that  "  fire  is  dangerous ;"  by  introducing  a  third  person  to  say,  "  ht  is  in  dan- 
ger ;"  by  continually  adverting  to  those  noble  public  institutions,  the  general 
fire  insurance  companies.  Nor  must  the  delegated  apostle  of  Christianity  fail 
to  discriminate,  to  individualize,  to  strike  home,  to  draw  the  line  between  the 
form  and  spirit  of  religion  ;  to  show  that  the  best  church  cannot  of  itself  sanc- 
tify those  who  enter  it;  '  to  speak,' as  old  Baxter  says,  'like  a  dying  man, 
to  dying  men  ;'  to  '  warn,  rebuke,  exhort,'  like  one  who  expects  to  meet  his 
congregation  next  at  the  bar  of  God.  Christian  Obsen:er. 


M  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE, 

powerful  impressions.  There  he  may  clearly  discover  the  way  to 
make  sermons  plain  and  popular,  without  losing  the  force  and  dignity 
they  ought  always  to  have.  For  want  of  this  knowledge,  a  preacher 
oftentimes  doth  but  stun  and  frighten  people  ;  so  that  they  remember 
but  few  clear  notions  ;  and  even  the  impressions  of  terror  they  receiv- 
ed are  not  lasting.  This  mistaken  simplicity  that  some  affect,  is  too 
often  a  cloak  for  ignorance  ;  and  at  best  it  is  such  an  unedifying  man- 
ner of  address,  as  cannot  be  acceptable  either  to  God  or  men.  Noth- 
ing can  excuse  such  homely  preachers,  but  the  sincerity  of  their  in- 
tentions. They  ought  to  have  studied  and  meditated  much  upon  the 
word  of  God,  before  they  undertook  to  preach.  A  priest  who  under- 
I  stands  the  scripture  fully,  and  has  the  gift  of  speaking,  supported  by 
\  the  autljority  of  his  function,  and  of  a  good  life,  might  make  ex- 
\  cellent  discourses  without  great  preparation.  For  one  speaks  easi- 
ly of  such  truths  as  make  a  clear  and  strong  impression  on  his  mind. 
Now  above  all  things,  such  a  subject  as  religion  must  furnish  exalt- 
ed thoughts  ;  and  excite  the  noblest  sentiments  ;  and  this  is  the  de- 
sign of  eloquence.  But  a  preacher  ought  to  speak  to  his  audience 
as  a  father  would  talk  to  his  children,  with  an  affectionate  ten- 
derness ;*  and   not  like  a  declaimer,   pronouncing  a   harangue  with 

*  In  the  most  awful  denunciations  of  the  divine  displeasure,  an  air  of  un- 
affected tenderness  should  be  preserved,  that  while  with  unsparing  fidelity  we 
declare  the  whnle  counsel  of  God,  it  may  appear  we  are  actuateH  by  a  genuine 
spirit,  of  compassion.  A  hard  and  unfeeling  manner  of  denouncing  the  threat- 
eniiigs  of  the  word  of  Crod,  is  not  only  barbarous  and  inhuman,  but  calculated, 
by  inspiring  disgust,  to  rob  them  of  all  their  efficacy.  If  the  awful  part  of  our 
in<  ^•^age,  which  maybe  sfiled  the  burden  of  the  Lord,  ever  fall  with  due 
weight  on  our  hearers,  it  will  be  when  it  is  delivered  with  a  trembling  band 
and  faulterir.'g  lips  ;  and  we  may  then  expect  them  to  realize  its  solomn  im- 
port, when  they  perceive  that  we  ourselves  are  ready  to  sink  under  it.  '  Of 
whom  i  have  told  you  before,  said  St.  Paul,  and  now  tell  you  weeping,  that 
thty  are  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ.'  What  force  does  that  affecting  dec- 
laration derive  from  these  tears !  An  affectionate  manner  insinuates  itself  in* 
to  the  heart,  renders  it  soft  and  pliable,  and  disposes  it  to  imbibe  the  sentiments 
and  follow  the  impulse  of  the  speaker.  Whoever  has  attended  to  the  effect 
of  addresses  from  the  pulpit,  must  have  perceived  how  much  of  their  impres- 
sion depends  upon  this  quality,  which  gives  to  sentiments  comparatively  trite, 
a  power  over  the  mind  beyond  what  the  most  striking  and  original  concep- 
tions possess  without  it. 

Hall  on  the  discnuragemenis  and  supports  of  the  christian  ministry. 

There  is  another  strain  of  preaching,  which,  though  it  wears  the  garb  of 
zeal,  is  seldom  a  proof  of  any  power  but  the  power  of  self;  I  mean  angry  and 
scolding  preaching.  The  Gospel  is  a  benevolent  scheme,  and  whoever  speaks 
in  the  power  of  it,  will  assuredly  speak  in  love.  In  the  most  faithful  rebukes 
of  sin,  in  the  most  solemn  declarations  of  God's  displeasure  against  it,  a  preach- 
er ma)'  give  evidence  of  a  disposition  of  good-will  and  compassion  to  sinners, 
and  assuredly  will,  if  hp  speaks  under  the  influence  of  the  power  of  truth.  If 
we  can  indulge  invective  and  bitterness  in  the  pulpit,  we  know  not  what  spir- 
it we  are  of;  we  are  but  gratifying  our  own  evil  tempers,  under  the  pretence 
of  a  concern  for  the  cause  of  God  and  truth.     A  preacher  of  this  character, 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  9$ 

Stiffness,  and  an  affected  delicacy.  It  were  to  be  wished  in- 
deed that,  generally  speaking,  none  were  allowed  to  feed  the  chris-  .■ 
tian  flocks  but  their  respective  shepherds,  who  ought  best  to  know  \ 
their  wants.  In  order  to  this,  none  should  be  chosen  for  pastors, 
but  such  as  have  the  gift  of  preaching.  The  neglect  of  this  oc- 
casions two  evils  ;  one  is,  that  dumb  pastors,  and  such  as  speak  with- 
out abilities,  are  little  esteemed.  Another  evil  is,  that  the  functioa 
of  voluntary  preachers  allures  many  vain,  ambitious  spirits,  that  en- 
deavour to  distinguish  themselves  this  way.  You  know  that  in  for- 
mer ages  the  ministry  of  the  word  was  reserved  for  the  bishops  ;  es- 
pecially in  the  western  church.  You  must  have  heard  of  St.  Austin's 
case ;  that,  contrary  to  the  established  rule,  he  was  obliged  to  preach 
while  he  was  only  a  presbyter  ;  because  that  Valerius,  his  bishop  and 
predecessor,  was  a  stranger  who  could  not  talk  easily ;  this  was  the 
beginning  of  that  custom  in  the  western  parts.  In  the  east,  priests 
sooner  began  to  preach;  as  appears  from  St.  Chrysostom's  sermons, 
which  he  made  at  Antioch,  when  he  was  only  a  presbyter. 

C.  I  grant  that,  generally  speaking,  the  office  of  preaching  should 
be  reserved  for  the  parochial  clergy.  This  would  be  the  way  to  re- 
store to  the  pulpit  that  simplicity  and  dignity  that  ought  to  adorn  it. 
For  if  pastors  joined  the  knowledge  of  the  scriptures  to  their  experi- 
ence in  the  ministerial  function,  and  the  conduct  of  souls  ;  they  would 
speak  in  such  a  way  as  is  best  adapted  to  the  wants  of  their  flocks. 
Whereas  those  preachers  who  give  up  themselves  chiefly  to  study  and 
speculation,  are  less  able  to  obviate  people's  prejudices  and  mistakes; 
they  do  not  suit  their  discourses  to  vulgar  capacities ;  and  insist  chief- 
ly on  such  general  points  as  do  not  instruct  nor  affect  men ;  to  say 
nothing  of  the  weight  and  influence  that  the  shepherd's  own  voice 
must  have  among  his  flock,  above  a  stranger's.  These,  methinks, 
are  convincing  reasons  for  preferring  a  pastor's  sermons  before  other 
people's.  Of  what  use  are  so  many  young  preachers,  without  expe- 
rience, without  knowledge,  and  without  piety  ?  It  were  better  to 
have  fewer  sermons,  and  more  judicious  ones. 

B.  But  there  are  many  priests  who  are  not  pastors,  and  who 
preach  with  great  success.  How  many  persons  are  there  of  the  re- 
ligious orders,  who  fill  the  pulpit  to  advantage  ? 

instead  of  resemblirj' a  priest  bearing;  in  his  censer  halloweH  fire  taken  from 
God's  altar,  may  be  compared  to  the  madman  described  in  the  Proverbs,  who 
srattereth  at  random  fire-brands,  and  arrows,  and  death,  and  saith.  Am  not  £ 
in  sport  ?  Such  persons  may  applaud  their  own  faithfulness  and  coura»e,  and 
think  it  a  great  attainment  that  they  can  so  easily  and  constantly  set  their 
congregation  at  defiance  ;  but  they  must  not  expect  to  be  useful,  so  long  as  it 
remains  a  truth,  that  the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the  righteousness  of  Gnd. 

Nbwton. 


9^  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

C  I  own  there  are  many  ;  and  such  men  ought  to  be  made  pas- 
tors of  parishes ;  and  even  be  constrained  to  undertake  the  care  of 
,  souls.  Were  not  anchorets  of  old  forced  from  their  beloved  solitude, 
and  raised  to  public  stations,  that  the  light  of  their  piety  might  shine 
in  the  church,  and  edify  the  faithful  1 

A.  But  it  does  not  belong  to  us  to  regulate  the  discipline  of  the 
church.  Every  age  has  its  proper  customs,  as  the  circumstances  of 
things  require.  Let  us  show  a  regard  to  whatever  the  church  tol- 
erates ;  and,  without  indulging  a  censorious  humour,  let  us  finish  our 
character  of  a  worthy  preacher. 

C.  What  you  have  said  already  gives  me,  I  think,  an  exact  idea 
of  it. 

A.  Let  us  hear  then  what  you  reckon  necessary  to  make  a  com- 
plete preacher. 

C  I  think  that  he  ought  to  have  studied  solidly,  during  his  young- 
>  er  days,  whatever  is  most  useful  in  the  poetry  and  eloquence  of  the 
ancients.* 

A.  That  is  not  necessary.  It  is  true,  when  one  has  finished 
such  studies  successfully,  they  may  be  of  use  to  him,  even  towards  a 
right  understanding  of  the  scriptures  :  as  St.  Paul  has  shown  in  a 
treatise  he  composed  on  this  very  subject.  But  after  all,  this  sort  of 
study  is  rather  useful  than  necessary.  In  the  first  ages  of  the  church, 
the  clergy  found  a  want  of  this  kind  of  learning.  Those  indeed  who 
had  applied  themselves  to  it  in  their  youth,  turned  it  to  the  service 
of  religion,  when  they  became  pastors:  but  such  as  had  neglected 
these  studies  before,  were  not  permitted  to  follow  them,  when  they 
had  once  engaged  themselves  in  the  study  of  the  sacred  writings ; 
which  were  then  reckoned  to  be  sufficient.  Hence  came  that  pas- 
sage in  the  Apostolical  Constitutions, t  which  exhorts  Christians  not 
^  to  read  the  heathen  authors.  '  If  you  want  history,  (says  the  book,) 
or  laws,  or  moral  precepts,  or  eloquence,  or  poetry,  you  will  find  them 
'  all  in  the  scriptures.'  In  effect,  we  have  already  seen  that  it  is  need- 
less to  seek  elsewhere,  for  any  thing  that  is  necessary  to  form  our 
taste  and  judgement  of  true  eloquence.  St.  Austin  says  that  the 
smaller  stock  we  have  of  other  learning,  we  ought  so  much  the  more 
to  enrich  ourselves  out  of  that  sacred  treasure ;  and   that  seeing  our 


*  The  Greek  and  Roman  authors  have  a  spirit  in  them,  a  force,  both  of 
thought  and  expression,  thai  latter  a^es  have  not  been  able  to  imitate  ;  Bu- 
chanan only  excepted  ;  in  whom,  more  particularity  in  his  Psalms,  there  is  a 
beauty,  and  life,  an  exactness  as  well  as  a  liberty,  that  cannot  be  imitated, 
and  scarce  enough  commended.  Discourse  of  tht  pastoral  care,  ch,  viii. 

t  B.  i.  c.  6. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  97 

notions  are  too  scanty  to  express  divine  things  in  a  proper  way,  we 
have  need  to  exalt  and  improve  our  knowledge,  by  the  authority  of 
scripture ;  and  our  language,  by  the  dignity  of  its  expressions.  But 
I  ask  your  pardon  for  interrupting  you.     Go  on,  Sir,  if  you  please. 

C.  Well  then  ;  let  us  be  content  with  the  sufficiency  of  scrip- 
ture.    But  shall  we  not  add  the  fathers  1 

A.  Without  doubt ;  they  are  the  channels  of  tradition.     It  is  by 
their  writings  that  we  learn  the  manner  in  which  the  church  inter- i 
preted  the  scripture  in  all  ages. 

C.  But  are  preachers  obliged  to  explain  every  passage  of  scrip- 
ture according  to  the  interpretations  that  the  fathers  have  given  us  1 
We  find  that  one  father  gives  a  spiritual  or  mystical  sense  ;  and 
another  gives  a  literal  one.  Now  which  must  we  choose  ?  for  there 
would  be  no  end  of  mentioning  them  all. 

A.  When  I  affirm  that  we  ought  to  interpret  the  scripture  ac- 
cording to  the  doctrine  of  the  fathers  ;  I  mean,  their  constant  and 
uniform  doctrine.  They  frequently  gave  pious  interpretations  that 
differed  very  much  from  the  literal  sense  ;  and  were  not  founded  on 
the  prophetical  allusions,  and  the  mysterious  doctrines  of  religion. 
Now  seeing  these  interpretations  are  arbitrary,  we  are  not  obliged 
to  follow  them  ;  '  seeing  they  did  not  follow  one  another.'  But  in 
those  places  where  they  explain  the  sentiments  of  the  church  con- 
cerning points  of  faith  or  practice  ;  it  is  not  allowable  to  explain  the 
scripture  in  a  sense  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  the  fathers.  This  is 
the  authority  that  we  ought  to  ascribe  to  them. 

C.  This  seems  clear  enough.  I  would  therefore  have  a  clergy- 
man (before  he  begin  to  preach)  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  fathers,  that  he  may  follow  it.  I  would  even  have 
him  study  the  principles  they  laid  down  for  their  conduct ;  their 
rules  of  moderation  ;  and  their  method  of  instruction. 

A.  Right ;  they  are  our  masters.  They  had  an  exalted  genius  : 
they  had  great  and  pious  souls,  full  of  heroical  sentiments.  They 
had  a  singular  knowledge  of  the  tempers  and  manners  of  men  ;  and 
acquired  a  great  repute  ;  and  a  very  easy  way  of  preaching.  We 
even  find  that  many  of  them  were  very  polite,  and  knew  whatever  is 
decent,  either  in  writing  or  speaking  in  public ;  and  what  is  hand- 
some both  in  familiar  conversation,  and  in  discharging  the  common 
duties  of  life.  Doubtless  all  this  must  have  conduced  to  render 
them  eloquent ;  and  fit  to  gain  upon  people's  minds.  Accordingly, 
we  find  in  their  writings  a  politeness  not  only  of  language,  but  of 
sentiments  and  manners ;  which  is  not  to  be  seen  in  the  writers  of 
13 


i)8  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

the  following  ages.  This  just  taste  and  discernment,  (which  agrees 
perfectly  well  with  simplicity,  and  rendered  their  persons  acceptable, 
and  their  behaviour  engaging)  was  highly  serviceable  to  religion. 
And  in  this  point  we  can  scarce  imitate  them  enough.  So  that  after 
the  scriptures,  the  knowledge  of  the  fathers  will  help  a  preacher  to 
compose  good  sermons. 

C.  When  one  has  laid  such  a  solid  foundation,  and  edified  the 
church  by  his  exemplary  virtues  ;  he  would  then  be  fit  to  explain  the 
gospel  with  great  authority,  and  good  effect.  For  by  familiar  instruc- 
tions, and  useful  conferences,  (to  which  we  suppose  him  to  have  been 
accustomed  betimes,)  he  must  have  attained  a  suflicient  freedom  and 
easiness  of  speaking.  Now  if  such  pastors  applied  themselves  to  all 
the  particular  duties  of  their  function,  as  administering  the  sacra- 
ments ;  directing  pious  souls  ;  and  comforting  aflSicted,  or  dying  per- 
sons ;  it  is  certain  they  could  not  have  much  time  to  make  elaborate 
sermons,  and  learn  them  word  for  word.  '  The  mouth  behoved  to 
speak  from  the  abundance  of  the  heart  ;'*  and  communicate  to  the 
people  the  fulness  of  gospel  knowledge,  and  the  affecting  sentiments 
of  the  preacher.  As  for  what  you  said  yesterday,  about  getting  ser- 
mons by  heart,  T  had  the  curiosity  to  seek  out  a  passage  in  St.  Aus- 
tin that  1  had  read  before  :  it  is  to  this  purpose :  '  He  thinks  that  a 
preacher  ought  to  speak  in  a  more  plain  and  sensible  manner  than 
other  people  :  for,  seeing  custom  and  decency  will  not  permit  his 
hearers  to  ask  him  any  questions;  he  should  be  afraid  of  not  adapting 
his  discourse  to  their  capacity.  Wherefore,'  says  he,  '  they,  who  get 
their  sermons  by  heart,  word  for  word,  and  so  cannot  repeat  and  ex- 
plain a  truth  till  they  see  that  their  hearers  understand  it,  must  lose 
one  great  end  and  benefit  of  preaching.'  You  see  by  this,  Sir,  that 
St.  Austin  only  prepared  his  subject,  without  burdening  his  memory 
with  all  the  words  of  his  sermons.  Though  the  precepts  of  true  elo- 
quence should  require  more;  yet  the  rules  of  the  gospel  ministry  will 
not  permit  us  to  go  farther.  As  for  my  own  part,  I  have  been  long 
of  your  opinion  concerning  this  matter;  because  of  the  many  pres- 
sing necessities  in  the  Christian  church,  that  require  a  pastor's  con- 
tinual application.  While  a  priest,  who  ought  to  be  '  a  man  of  God, t 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works,'  should  be  diligent  in  root- 
ing out  ignorance  and  offences  from  the  field  of  the  church  ;  I  think 
it  unworthy  of  him  to  waste  his  time  in  his  closet,  in  smoothing  of 
periods  ;  giving  delicate  touches  to  his  descriptions  ;  and  inventing 
quaint  divisions.     When  one  falls  into  the  method  and  employment 

*  Matth.  xii.  34.  t2Tim.  iii.  17.  ^ 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  99 

of  these  pretty  preachers,  he  can  have  no  time  to  do  any  thing  else  ; 
he  applies  himself  to  no  other  business,  or  useful  kind  of  study  :  nay, 
to  refresh  himself,  he  is  oftentimes  forced  to  preach  the  same  sermons 
over  and  over  again.  But  what  kind  of  eloquence  can  a  preacher  at- 
tend to,  when  his  hearers  know  beforehand  all  the  expressions,  and 
pathetic  figures  he  will  use  ?  This  is  a  likely  way  indeed,  to  surprise 
and  astonish  ;  to  soften,  and  move,  and  persuade  them.  This  must 
be  a  strange  manner  of  concealing  one's  art ;  and  of  letting  nature 
speak.  To  tell  you  freely,  Sir,  this  gives  me  great  offence.  What ! 
shall  a  dispenser  of  the  divine  mysteries  be  an  idle  declaimer,  jealous 
of  his  reputation,  and  fond  of  vain  pomp  ?*  Shall  he  not  dare  to 
speak  of  God  to  his  people,  without  having  ranged  all  his  words,  and 
learned  his  lesson  by  heart  like  a  school  boy  ? 

A.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with  your  zeal.  What  you  say  is 
true.  But  we  must  not  however  inveigh  against  this  abuse  with  too 
much  violence  :  for  we  ought  to  show  a  regard  to  persons  of  worth 
and  piety,  who,  out  of  deference  to  custom,  or  being  prepossessed  by 
example,  have,  with  a  good  design,  fallen  into  the  method  that  you 
justly  censure.  But  I  am  ashamed  to  interrupt  you  so  often.  Goon, 
I  beseech  you. 

C.  I  would  have  a  preacher  explain  the  whole  plan  of  religion ; 
and  unfold  every  part  of  it,  in  the  most  intelligible  manner ;  by  show- 
ing the  primitive  institution  of  things  ;  and  pointing  out  the  sequel 
and  tradition  of  them  ;  that,  by  showing  the  origin  and  establishment 
of  religion,  he  might  destroy  the  objections  of  unbelievers,  without  of- 
fering to  attack  them  openly  :  lest  he  should  thereby  lay  a  stumbling 
block  in  the  way  of  illiterate,  well  meaning  Christians.! 

*  Sed  his  ornatus  (repetam  enim)  virilis,  fortis  et  sanctus  sit — non  debet 
quisquam  ubi  maxima  rerum  momenia  versantur,  de  verbis  esse  sollicitus — pri- 
ma virtus  est  vitio  carere.  Igitur  ante  omnia,  ne  speremus  ornatam  orationeni 
fore,  quse  probabilis  non  erit.  Probabilt  autem,  Cicero  id  genus  dicit,  quod 
non  plus,  minusve  est  quam  decet.  Non  quia  comi  expolirique  non  debeat ; 
nam  et  haac  ornatus  pars  est ;  sed  quia  ritium  est,  ubique  quod  nimium  est. 
Itaque  vult  esse  auctoritateai  et  pondus  in  verbis:  sententias  vel  graves,  vel 
aptas  opinionibus  hominum  ac  moribus.  Q^uitit.  lib.  viii.  c.  3. 

t  Particular  care  ought  to  be  taken  in  expounding  the  scriptures  to  the  peo- 
ple, not  to  appear  over-learned  and  over-critical  in  one's  explications.  There 
is  no  occasion  to  obtrude  on  an  audience,  as  some  do,  all  the  jarring  interpreta- 
tions given  by  different  commentators,  of  which  it  is  much  better  that  the  peo- 
ple should  remain  iguoraut,  than  that  they  should  be  apprized.  For  this  know- 
ledge can  serve  no  other  purpose,  than  to  distract  their  thoughts  and  perplex 
their  judgement.  Before  you  begin  to  build,  it  is  necessary  to  remove  such  im- 
pediments, as  lie  directly  in  your  way  ;  but  you  could  not  account  him  other 
than  a  very  foolish  builder,  who  should  first  collect  a  deal  of  rubbish,  which 
was  not  in  his  way,  and  consequently  could  not  have  obstructed  his  work,  that 
he  might  have  the  pleasure  and  merit  of  removing  it.     And  do   the  fantastic. 


100  DIALOGUES  eONCEBNING  ELOCIUBNCE. 

A.  That  is  very  right.  The  best  way  of  proving  the  truth  of  reli- 
gion, is  to  explain  it  justly  ;  far  it  carries  its  own  evidence  along  with 
it,  when  we  represent  it  in  its  native  purity.  All  other  proofs  that  are 
liot  drawn  from  the  very  foundation  of  religion  itself,  and  the  manner 
of  its  propagation,  are  but  foreign  to  it.  Thus,  for  instance,  the  best 
proof  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  of  the  deluge,  and  the  miracles  of 

absurd,  and  contradictory  glosses  of  commentators  deserve  a  better  name  than 
rubbish  ?  No,  surely.  But  if  such  absurd  glosses  are  unknown  to  your  congre- 
gation, they  are  rubbish  which  lies  not  in  your  way.  No  interpretation,  there- 
fore, or  gloss  should  ever  be  mentioned  in  order  to  be  refuted,  unless  it  be  such 
as  the  words  themselves,  on  a  superficial  view,  might  seem  to  countenance,  or 
such  as  is  generally  known  to  the  people  to  be  put  upon  them  by  some  inter- 
preters, or  sects  of  Cliristians.  Where  a  false  gloss  cannot  be  reasonably  sup- 
posed to  be  either  known  or  thought  of  by  the  audience,,  it  is  in  the  preacher 
worse  than  being  idly  ostentatious  of  his  learning,  to  introduce  such  erroneous 
gloss  or  comment.  And  as  to  an  excess  of  criticism  in  this  exercise,  it  ought 
also  doubtless  carefully  to  be  avoided.  We  must  always  remember  the  differ- 
ence between  a  church  and  a  college.  In  most  Christian  congregations  there 
are  very  lew,  if  any,  linguists.  I  do  not  say  that  in  our  lectures  we  ought  nev- 
er to  mention  the  original  or  recur  to  it.  Justice  to  the  passage  we  explain 
ma)'  sometimes  require  it.  Nor  is  it  necessary,  that  our  translators  should  be 
deemed  infallible  even  by  the  multitude.  It  is  enough,  that  we  consider  as 
the  pure  dictates  of  the  Spirit  those  intimations,  with  which  the  prophets  and 
apostles  were  inspired.  But  then,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  neither  modest  nor 
prudent  in  the  preacher,  especially  if  a  young  man,  to  be  at  every  turn  censur- 
ing the  translators,  and  pretending  to  mend  their  version.  It  is  not  modest,  as 
they,  over  whom  the  corrector  assumes  a  superiority,  are  allowed  on  all  hands 
to  have  been  men  of  eminent  talents  and  erudition.  And  it  is  not  prudent,  as 
this  practice  never  fails  to  produce  in  the  minds  of  the  people  a  want  of  confi- 
dence in  their  Bible,  which  tends  greatly  to  lessen  its  authority.  Therefore, 
though  I  am  by  no  means  for  ascribing  infallibility  to  any  human  expositors, 
propriety  requires,  that  we  should  neither  too  often,  nor  too  abruptly  tax  with 
blundering,  before  such  a  promiscuous  audience  as  our  congregations  common- 
ly are,  men  of  so  respectable  memory.  Manly  freedom  of  inquiry,  becoming  a 
protestant,  becoming  a  Briton,  tempered  with  that  decent  reserve  which  suits 
the  humble  Christian,  will  guard  the  judicious  against  both  extremes,  an  over-« 
weening  conceit  of  his  own  abilities,  and  an  implicit  faith  in  those  of  others. 
And  indeed,  in  regard  to  every  thing,  which  may  be  introduced  either  in  the 
way  of  criticism  or  comment,  it  ought  ever  to  be  remembered,  that  it  is  not 
enough,  that  such  an  observation  is  just,  that  such  an  interpretation  hath  actu- 
ally been  given,  or  that  such  an  opinion  hath  been  maintained  ;  the  previous 
inquiry,  which  the  preacher  ought  to  make  by  himself  is,  whether  it  be  of  any 
consequence  to  the  people  to  be  informed  of  the  observation,  comment,  or  opin- 
ion. This  inquiry  impartially  made  will  prove  a  check  against  the  immoder- 
ate indulgence  of  what  is  perhaps  the  natural  bent  of  his  own  genius,  whether 
it  be  to  crilical  or  controversial  disquisition,  and  which  it  is  not  alwayseasy 
for  youth,  commonly  impetuous  and  opinionative,  duly  to  restrain.  If  on  other 
occasions,  more  especially  on  this,  the  apostolical  admonition  ought  to  be  sa- 
credly observed,  that  "  nothing  proceed  out  of  the  speaker''s  mouth,  but  that 
which  is  good  to  the  use  of  edifying,  that  it  may  minister  grace  to  the  hearers." 
But  for  our  direction  in  this  kind  of  discernment,  no  precepts,  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged, will  suffice.  A  fund  of  good  sense  is  absolutely  necessary,  en- 
lightened by  a  knowledge  of  mankind.  In  this,  as  in  every  other  kind  of  com- 
pntition,  the  maxim  of  the  poet  invariably  holds : 

Scribendi  recte  sapere  est  principium  et  fons. 

Cam^btU  on  pulpit  eloquence. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQDENCB.  101 

Moses,  may  be  drawn  from  the  nature  of  those  miracles ;  and  the  art- 
less, impartial  manner  in  which  the  Mosaic  history  is  written.  A 
wise,  unprejudiced  person  needs  only  to  read  it,  to  be  fully  convinced 
of  its  truth. 

C  I  would  likewise  have  a  preacher  assiduously  explain  to  the 
people,  in  a  connected  train,  not  only  all  the  particular  precepts  and 
mysteries  of  the  gospel,  but  likewise  the  origin  and  institution  of  the 
sacraments  ;  the  traditions,  discipline,  the  liturgy,  and  ceremonies  of 
the  church.  By  these  instructions  he  would  guard  the  faithful  against 
the  objections  of  heretics ;  and  enable  them  to  give  an  account  of 
their  faith :  and  even  to  affect  such  heretics  as  are  not  obstinate  :  he 
would  strengthen  people's  faith,  give  them  an  exalted  notion  of  reli- 
gion ;  and  make  them  receive  some  edification  and  benefit  from  what 
they  see  in  the  church.  Whereas,  with  the  superficial  instruction 
that  is  generally  given  them  at  present,  they  comprehend  little  or 
nothing  of  what  they  see  ;  and  have  but  a  very  confused  idea  of  what 
they  hear  from  the  preacher.  It  is  chiefly  for  the  sake  of  this  connec- 
ted scheme  of  instruction  that  I  would  have  fixed  persons,  such  as  pas- 
tors, to  preach  in  every  parish.  I  have  often  observed  that  there  is 
no  art,  nor  science,  that  is  not  taught  coherently  by  principles  and 
method,  in  a  connected  train  of  instructions.  Religion  is  the  only 
thing  that  is  not  taught  thus  to  Christians.  In  their  childhood  they 
have  a  little,  dry  catechism  put  into  their  hands,  which  they  learn  by 
rote,  without  understanding  the  sense  of  it.  And  after  that,  they  have 
no  other  instruction  but  what  they  can  gather  from  sermons  upon  un- 
connected, general  subjects.  I  would  therefore,  (as  you  said,)  have 
preachers  teach  people  the  first  principles  of  their  religion  ;  and,  by  a 
due  method,  lead  them  on  to  the  highest  mysteries  of  it. 

A.  That  was  the  ancient  way.  They  began  with  catechising; 
after  which,  pastors  taught  their  people  the  several  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  in  a  connected  train  of  homilies.  This  instructed  Christians 
fully  in  the  word  of  God  :  you  know  St.  Austin's  book,  of  '  catechis- 
ing the  ignorant ;'  and  St.  Clement's  tract,  which  he  composed  to 
show  the  heathen  whom  he  converted  what  were  the  doctrines  and 
manners  of  the  christian  philosophy.  In  those  days  the  greatest  men 
were  employed  in  these  catechetical  instructions  ;  and  accordingly, 
they  produced  such  wonderful  effects,  as  seem  quite  incredible  to  us. 
C.  In  fine,  I  would  have  every  preacher  make  such  sermons  as 
should  not  be  too  troublesome  to  him  ;  that  so  he  might  be  able  to 
preach  often.  They  ought  therefore  to  be  short ;  that  without  fatigu- 
ing himself  or  wearying  the  people,  he  might  preach  every  Sunday 


102  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

after  the  gospel.  As  far  as  we  can  judge,  those  aged  bishops  who 
lived  in  former  times,  and  had  constant  labours  to  employ  them,  did 
not  make  such  a  stir  aS  our  modern  preachers  do  in  talking  to  the 
people  in  the  midst  of  divine  service;  which  the  bishops  themselves 
read  solemnly  every  Lord's  day.*  A  preacher  now-a-days  gets  little 
credit,  unless  he  comes  out  of  the  pulpit  sweating  and  breathless ; 
and  unable  to  do  any  thing  the  rest  of  the  day.  The  bishop's  upper 
vestment,  (which  was  not  then  opened  at  the  shoulders  as  it  is  now, 
but  hung  equally  down  on  all  sides,)  probably  hindered  him  from  mo- 
ving his  arms,  as  some  preachers  do.  So  that  as  their  sermons  were 
short,  so  their  action  must  have  been  grave  and  moderate.  Now  Sir, 
is  not  all  this  agreeable  to  your  principles  ?  is  not  this  the  idea  you 
gave  us  of  good  preaching  1 

A.  It  is  not  mine:  it  is  the  current  notion  of  all  antiquity.  The 
farther  I  inquire  into  this  matter,  the  more  I  am  convinced  that  the 
ancient  form  of  sermons  was  the  most  perfect.  The  primitive  pastors 
were  great  men  :  they  were  not  only  very  holy,  but  they  had  a  com- 
plete, clear  knowledge  of  religion,  and  of  the  best  way  to  persuade 
men  of  its  truth  :  and  they  took  care  to  regulate  all  the  circumstan- 
ces of  it.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  wisdom,  hidden  under  this  air  of  sim- 
plicity :  and  we  ought  not  to  believe  that  abetter  method  could  have 
been  afterwards  found  out.  You  have  set  this  whole  matter  in  the 
best  light,  and  have  left  me  nothing  to  add  :  indeed  you  have  explain- 
ed my  thoughts  better  than  I  should  have  done  myself. 

B.  You  magnify  the  eloquence  and  the  sermons  of  the  fathers 
mightily. 

A.  I  do  not  think  that  I  commend  them  too  much. 

B.  I  am  surprised  to  see,  that  after  you  have  been  so  severe 
against  those  orators,  who  mix  turns  of  wit  with  their  discourses,  you 
should  be  so  indulgent  to  the  fathers,  whose  writings  are  full  of  jin- 
gling antitheses,  and  quibbles,  entirely  contrary  to  all  your  rules.     I 

*  A  clergyman  must  bring  his  mind  to  an  inward  and  feeling  sense  of  those 
things  that  are  prayed  for  in  our  offices  :  this  will  make  him  pronounce  them 
with  an  equal  measure  of  gravity  and  affection  ;  and  with  a  due  slowness  and 
emphasis.  I  do  not  love  the  theatrical  way  of  the  church  of  Rome,  in  which 
it  is  a  great  study,  and  a  long  practice,  to  learn  in  every  one  of  their  offices,  how 
they  ought  to  compose  their  looks,  gesture  and  voice  ;  yet  a  light  wandering 
of  the  eyes,  and  a  hasty  running  through  the  prayers,  are  things  highly  unbe- 
coming ;  they  very  much  lessen  the  majesty  of  our  worship  ;  and  give  our  en- 
emies advantage  to  call  it  dtad  and  formal ;  when  they  see  plainly  that  he 
who  officiates,  is  dead  and  formal  in  it.  A  deep  sense  of  the  things  prayed  for, 
a  true  recollection  and  attention  of  spirit,  and  a  holy  earnestness  of  soul,  will 
give  a  composure  to  the  look,  and  a  weight  to  the  pronunciation,  that  will  be 
tempered  between  affectation  on  the  one  hand,  and  levity  on  the  other. 

Discourse  of  the  fastoral  care^ch.  viii. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  103 

wish  you  would  be  consistent  with  yourself.     Pray,  Sir,  unfold  all  this 
to  us.     Particularly,  what  do  you  think  of  Tertullian  ? 

A.  There  are  many  excellent  things  in  him.  The  loftiness  of  his 
sentiments  is  oftentimes  admirable.  Besides,  he  should  be  read  for 
the  sake  of  some  principles  concerning  tradition,  some  historical 
facts,  and  the  discipline  of  his  time.  But  as  for  his  style,  I  do  not 
pretend  to  justify  it.  He  has  many  false  and  obscure  notions,  many 
harsh  and  perplexed  metaphors  ;  and  the  generality  of  readers  are 
most  fond  of  his  faults.  He  has  spoiled  many  preachers.*  For,  the 
desire  of  saying  something  that  is  singular,  leads  them  to  study  his 
works  ;t  and  his  uncommon,  pompous  style  dazzles  them.  We  must, 
therefore,  beware  of  imitating  his  thoughts  or  expressions,  and  only 
pick  out  his  noble  sentiments,  and  the  knowledge  of  antiquity. 

B.  What  say  you  of  St.  Cyprian  ?     Is  not  his  style  too  swelling  ? 

*  One  of  the  "greatest  and  most  remarkable  proofs  of  the  strong  influence 
that  some  imaa:inations  have  over  others,  is  the  power  that  some  authors  have  to 
persuade,  without  any  proof.  For  example,  the  turn  of  words  that  we  find  in 
Tertullian,  Seneca,  Montaigne,  and  some  other  authors,  has  so  many  charms, 
and  so  much  lustre,  that  they  dazzle  most  readers — their  words,  however  in- 
significant, have  more  force  than  the  reason*  of  other  people — I  protest  I  have 
a  great  value  for  some  of  TertuUian's  works  ;  and  chieliy  for  his  Apology  against 
the  Gentiles  ;  his  book  of  Prescriptions  against  heretics  ;  and  for  some  passages 
of  Seneca;  though  I  have  very  little  esteem  for  Montaigne.  Tertullian  was 
indeed  a  man  of  great  learning  ;  but  he  had  more  memory  than  judgement — the 
regard  he  showetl  to  the  visions  of  Montanu?,  and  his  prophetesses,  is  an  un- 
questionable proof  of  his  weak  judgement.  The  disorder  of  his  imagination 
sensibly  appears  in  the  heat,  the  transports,  and  enthusiastic  flights  he  falls  in- 
to, upon  trifling  subjects — what  could  he  infer  from  his  pompous  descriptions 
of  the  changes  that  happen  in  the  world  ?  Or  how  could  they  justify  his  laying 
aside  his  usual  dress  to  wear  the  philosophical  cloak  ?  The  moon  has  different 
phases  ;  the  year  has  several  seasons  ;  the  fields  change  their  appearance  in 
summer  and  winter:  whole  j^rovinces  are  drowned  by  inundations,  or  swallow- 
ed up  by  earthquakes — in  fine,  all  nature  is  subject  to  changes  ;  therefore,  he 
had  reason  to  wear  the  cloak  rather  than  the  common  robe  !  —  Nothing  can  ex- 
cuse the  silly  arguments  and  wild  fancies  of  this  author,  who,  in  several  others 
of  his  works,  as  well  as  in  that  de  Pallio,  says  every  thing  that  comes  into  his 
head,  if  it  be  a  far  fetched  conceit,  or  a  bold  expression  ;  by  which  he  hoped  to 
show  the  vigour,(we  must  rather  call  it,  the  disorder)  of  his  imagination.  Male- 
branche''s  Recherche  de  la  verite^  Lir.  ii.  p.  3.  c,  3. 

t  Eccentricity  is  sometimes  found  connected  with  genius,  but  it  does  not  co- 
alesce with  true  wisdom.  Hence,  men  of  the  first  order  of  intellect,  have  nev- 
er betrayed  it ;  and  hence  also,  men  of  secondary  talents  drop  it  as  they  grow 
wiser ;  and  are  satisfied  to  found  their  consequence  on  real  and  solid  excellen- 
cy, not  on  peculiarity  and  extravagance.  They  are  content  to  awaken  regard, 
and  obtain  applause,  by  the  rectitude  and  gracefulness  of  their  going,  rather 
than  to  make  passengers  stare  and  laugh  by  leaping  over  the  wall  or  stumbling 
along  the  road.  True  greatness  is  serious  ;  trifling  is  beneath  its  dignity.  We 
are  more  indebted  to  the  regular,  sober,  constant  course  of  the  sun,  than  to  the 
glare  of  the  comet ;  the  one  indeed  occupies  our  papers,  but  the  other  enriches 
our  fields  and  gardens  ;  we  gaze  at  the  atraugeuess  of  the  one,  but  we  live  by 
the  influence  of  the  other.     Jay. 


104  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

A.  I  think  it  is  ;  and  it  could  scarce  be  otherwise  in  his  age  and 
country.  But  though  his  language  has  a  tang  of  the  African  rough- 
ness, and  the  bombast  which  prevailed  in  his  days ;  yet  there  is  great 
force  and  eloquence  in  it.  Every  where  we  see  a  great  soul,  who  ex- 
presseth  his  sentiments  in  a  very  noble,  moving  manner.  In  some 
places  of  his  works  we  find  affected  ornaments  ;*  especially  in  his 
epistle  to  Donatus  ;  which  St.  Austin  quotes,  however,  as  a  letter  full 
of  eloquence.  He  says,  that  God  permitted  those  strokes  of  vain  ora- 
tory to  fall  from  St.  Cyprian's  pen,  to  show  posterity  how  much  the 
spirit  of  christian  simplicity  had,  in  his  following  works,  retrenched 
the  superfluous  ornaments  of  his  style ;  and  reduced  it  within  the 
bounds  of  a  grave  and  modest  eloquence.  This,  says  St.  Austin,  is 
the  distinguishing  character  of  all  the  letters  which  St.  Cyprian  wrote 
afterwards  ;  which  we  may  safely  admire  and  imitate,  as  being  writ- 
ten according  to  the  severest  rules  of  religion  ;  though  we  cannot 
hope  to  come  up  to  them  without  a  great  application.  In  fine,  though 
his  letter  to  Donatus,  even  in  St.  Austin's  opinion,  be  too  elaborately 
adorned  ;  it  deserves,  however,  to  be  called  eloquent.  For,  notwith- 
standing its  many  rhetorical  embellishments,  we  cannot  but  perceive, 
that  a  great  part  of  the  epistle  is  very  serious  and  lively  ;  and  most 
proper  to  give  Donatus  a  noble  idea  of  Christianity.  In  those  passa- 
ges where  he  is  very  earnest,  he  neglects  all  turns  of  wit,  and  falls  in- 
to a  sublime  and  vehement  strain. 

B.  But  what  do  you  think  of  St.  Austin?  Is  he  not  the  most  jin- 
gling quibbler  that  ever  wrote  ?t  Will  you  defend  him  ? 

*  Locus  eniin  cum  die  convenit,  et  mulcendis  sensibus,  ac  fovendis,  ad  lenea 
auras  blandientis  autumni  hortorum  facies  amoena  consentit.  Hie  jucundum 
sermonibus  diem  ducere,  et  studentibus  fabulis  in  divina  prajcepta  conscientiara 
pectoris  erudire.  Ac  ne  colloquium  nostrum  arbiter  profanus  impediat,  aut 
clamor  intemperans  familiar  strepentis  obtundat,  petamus  banc  sedem.  Dant 
secessum  vicina  secreta,  ubi  dum  erratici  palmitum  lapsus  nexibus  pendulis  per 
arundines  bajulus  repunt,  viteam  porticum  frondea  tecta  fecerunt ;  bene  hie 
studia  in  aures  damus  ;  et  dum  in  arbores,  et  in  vites  quas  videmus,  oblectan- 
te  prospectu,  oculos  amoenamus,  animum  simul  et  auditus  iustruit,  et  pascit  ob- 
tutus.  Ci/pr.  AdDonat.  Epist. 

t  Misi  nuncios  meos  omnes  et  sensus  interiores,  ut  quacrercm  f  e,  et  non  inve- 
ni,  quia,  male  qujerebam.  V^ideo  enim,  lux  mea,  Deus  qui  illuminastime,  quia 
te  per  illos  quserebam  quia  tu  es  intus,  et  tamen  ipsi  ubi  intraveris,  nesciverunt 
— et  tamen  cum  Deum  meum  qusero,  quaero  nihilominus  quandam  lucem,  quam 
non  capit  oculus  ;  quandam  vocem  super  omnem  vocem,  quam  non  capit  auris; 
quendam  odorem  super  omnem  odorem,  quern  non  capit  naris ;  quendam  dul- 
corem  superomneni  dulcorem,  quem  non  capit  gestus ;  quendam  amplexum  su- 
per omnem  amplexum,  quem  non  capit  tactus.  Ista  lux  quidem  fulget  ubi  lo- 
cus non  capit ;  ista  vox  sonat,  ubi  spiritus  non  rapit ;  odor  iste  redolet,  ubi  fla- 
tus non  spargit  ;  sapor  iste  sapit,  ubi  non  est  edacitas ;  amplexas  iste  tangitur, 
ubi  non  divellitur.     Aug.  Solil.  i  31. 

O  dies  prseclara  et  pulchra,  nesciens  vesperura,  non  habeas  occasum — ubi 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  105 

A.  No  ;  I  cannot  vindicate  hira  in  that.  It  was  the  reigning  fault 
of  his  time;  to  which  his  quick,  lively  fancy  naturally  inclined  him. 
This  shows  that  he  was  not  a  perfect  orator.  But  notwithstanding 
this  defect,  he  had  a  great  talent  for  persuasion.  He  reasoned  gen- 
erally with  great  force  ;  and  he  is  full  of  noble  notions.  He  knew 
the  heart  of  man  entirely  well,  and  was  so  polite,  that  he  carefully  ob- 
served the  strictest  decency  in  all  his  discourses.  In  short,  he  ex- 
pressed himself  almost  always  in  a  pathetic,  gentle,  insinuating  man- 
ner. Now  ought  not  the  fault  we  observe  in  so  great  a  man,  to  be  for- 
given 1 

C.  I  must  own  there  is  one  thing  in  him  that  I  never  observed  in 
any  other  writer  :  I  mean,  that  he  has  a  moving  way,  even  when  he 
quibbles.  None  of  his  works  are  more  full  of  jingling  turns,  than  his 
confessions,  and  soliloquies  ;  and  yet  we  must  own  they  are  tender,* 
and  apt  to  affect  the  reader. 

A.  It  is  because  he  checks  the  turns  of  his  fancy  as  much  as  he 
can,  by  the  ingenuous  simplicity  of  his  pious,  affecting  sentiments.  All 
his  works  plainly  show  his  love  of  God.  He  was  not  only  conscious 
of  it ;  but  knew  well  how  to  express  to  others  the  strong  sense  he  had 
of  it.  Now  this  tender,  affecting  way  is  a  part  of  eloquence.  But 
we  see  besides,  that  St.  Austin  knew  exactly  all  the  essential  rules  of 
it.  He  tells  ust  that  a  persuasive  discourse  must  be  simple  and 
natural  ;  that  art  must  not  appear  in  it;  and  that  if  it  be  too  fine  and 
elaborate,  it  puts  the  hearers  upon  their  guard. |  To  this  purpose  he 
applies  these  words,  which  you  cannot  but  remember:  '  qui  sophistice 
loquitur  odibilis  est.'  He  talks  likewise  very  judiciously  of  the  mix- 
ing different  kinds  of  style   in  a  discourse ;  of  ranging  the  several 

non  erit  hostis  impiignans,  neque  ulla  illecebra,  sed  suinma  et  certa  securitas, 
secura  tranquil litas,  et  tranqiiilla  jocundilas,  jocunda  felicitas,  foelix  seteruitas, 
cEterna  beatitudo,  et  beata  Trinitas,  et  Trinitatis  unitas,  et  unitatis  Deitas,  et 
Deitatis  beata  visio,  quae  est  gaudiutn  Domini  Dei  tui.     Aug.  Solil,  i  35. 

*  Quemadmodum  desiderat  cermis  ad  fontes  aquarnm,  ita  desiderat  anima 
mea  ad  te,  Deus.  Sitivit  anima  rnea  ad  te  Deum,  fontem  vivum  ;  quando  ve? 
niana  et  apparebo  ante  faciem  tuam  ?  O  fons  vitae,  vena  aquarum  viventium  ; 
quando  veniam  ad  aquas  dulcediuis  tuse  de  terra  deserta,  invia  et  inaquosa  ;  ut 
videam  virtutem  tuarn,  et  gloriam  tuam,  et  satiem  ex  <iqu'\s  misericordiae  tuse 
sitim  meam  ?  sitio,  Domine,  fons  vitae  es,  satia  me.  Sitio,  Domine,  sitio  te  De- 
um vivum  ;  O  quando  veniam  et  apparebo,  Domine,  ante  faciem  tuam  ? 

Aug.  Solil.  cap.  XXXV. 

+  De.  Doct.  Chr.  1,  2. 

f  "  There  is  a  false  eloquence,  in  being  ambitious  to  sny  every  tiling  with 
spirit,  and  turn  all  things  with  delicacy. -If  you  would  attain  to  true  eloquence, 
you  must  first  lay  aside  the  passion  for  appearing  eloquent.  So  long  as  you  have 
vain,  ambitious  views,  you  will  never  preach  well,  and  you  will  never  become 
truly  eloquent."  OstervaWs  Lect.  iv. 

14 


106  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

parts  of  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it  increase  gradually  in  strength 
and  evidence;  of  the  necessity  of  being  plain  and  familiar,  even  as  to 
the  tones  of  the  voice,  and  our  actions  in  particular  passages ;  though 
every  thing  we  say  should  still  have  a  dignity,  vphen  u^e  preach  reli- 
gion. In  fine,  he  likewise  shows  the  way  to  awaken  and  move  peo- 
ple. These  are  St.  Austin's  notions  of  eloquence.  But  if  you  would 
see  with  how  much  art  he  actually  influenced  people's  minds,  and 
with  what  address  he  moved  their  passions,  according  to  the  true  de- 
sign of  eloquence,  you  must  read  the  account  he  gives  of  a  discourse 
he  made  to  the  people  of  Csesarea,  in  Mauritania,  in  order  to  abolish 
a  barbarous  practice.  It  seems  there  prevailed  among  them  an  an- 
cient custom,  which  they  had  carried  to  a  monstrous  pitch  of  cruelty. 
His  business  therefore  was  to  draw  off  the  people  from  a  spectacle 
that  delighted  them  extremely.  Judge  now  what  a  difficult  enter- 
prise this  was.  However,  he  tells  us  that  after  he  had  talked  to  them 
for  some  time,  they  spake  aloud  and  applauded  him. 

But  he  concluded  that  his  discourse  had  not  persuaded  them,  see- 
ing they  amused  themselves  in  commending  him.  He  thought  he  had 
done  nothing  while  he  only  raised  delight  and  admiration  in  his  hear- 
ers ;  nor  did  he  begin  to  hope  for  any  good  effect  from  his  discourse, 
till  he  saw  them  weep,  "In  effect,"  says  he,  "  the  people  were  at 
length  prevailed  on  to  give  up  this  delightful  spectacle  ;  nor  has  it 
been  renewed  these  eight  years."  Is  not  St.  Austin  then  a  true  ora- 
tor? Have  we  any  preachers  that  are  able  to  talk  so  powerfully  now  ? 
As  for  St.  Jerome,  he  has  some  faults  in  his  style  :  but  his  expressions 
are  manly  and  great.  He  is  not  regular  ;  but  he  is  far  more  eloquent 
than  most  of  those  who  value  themselves  upon  their  oratory.  We 
should  judge  like  mere  grammarians,  if  we  examined  only  the  style 
and  language  of  the  fathers.  You  know  there  is  a  great  difference 
between  eloquence,  and  what  we  call  elegance,  or  purity,  of  style. 
St.  Ambrose  likewise  fell  into  the  fashionable  defects  of  his  time  ;  and 
gives  his  discourse  such  ornaments  as  were  then  in  vogue.  Perhaps 
these  great  men,  (who  had  higher  views  than  the  common  rules  of 
rhetoric,)  conformed  themselves  to  the  prevailing  taste  of  the  age  they 
lived  in,  that  they  might  the  better  insinuate  the  truths  of  religion  up- 
on people's  minds,  by  engaging  them  to  hear  the  word  of  God  with 
pleasure.  But  notwithstanding  the  puns  and  quibbles  that  St.  Ambrose 
sometimes  uses,  we  see  that  he  wrote  to  Theodosius  with  an  inimita- 
ble force  and  persuasion.  How  much  tenderness  does  he  express, 
when  he  speaks  of  the  death  of  his  brother  Satyrus  ?  In  the  Roman 
breviary  we  have  a  discourse  of  his,  concerning  John  the  Baptist's 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  107 

head,  which,  he  says,  Herod  respected  and  dreaded,  even  after  his 
death.  If  you  observe  that  discourse,  you  will  find  the  end  of  it  very  sub- 
lime. St.Leo's  style  is  swelling,  but  truly  noble.  Pope  Gregory  lived  still 
in  a  worse  age  ;  and  yet  he  wrote  several  things  with  much  strength 
and  dignity.  We  ought  to  distinguish  those  failings  into  which  the 
degeneracy  of  arts  and  learning  led  these  great  men,  in  common  with 
other  writers  of  their  several  ages  ;  and  at  the  same  time  observe  what 
their  genius  and  sentiments  furnished  them  with,  to  persuade  their 
hearers. 

C.  But  do  you  think  then  that  the  taste  of  eloquence  was  quite 
lost  in  those  ages  that  were  so  happy  for  religion  ? 

A.  Yes:  within  a  little  time  after  the  reign  of  Augustus,  elo- 
quence and  the  Latin  tongue  began  to  decline  apace.  The  fathers 
did  not  live  till  after  this  corruption  ;  so  that  we  must  not  look  on 
them  as  complete  models.  We  must  even  acknowledge  that  most  of 
the  sermons  they  have  left  us,  are  composed  with  less  skill  and  force, 
than  their  other  works.  When  I  showed  you  from  the  testimony  of 
the  fathers  that  the  scripture  is  eloquent ;  (which  you  seemed  to  be- 
lieve upon  their  credit ;)  I  knew  very  well  that  the  oratory  of  these 
witnesses,  is  much  inferior  to  that  of  the  sacred  writings  themselvt , . 
But  there  are  some  persons  of  such  a  depraved  taste,  that  they  cannot 
relish  the  beauties  of  Isaiah  ;  and  yet  they  will  admire  Chrysologus, 
in  whom,  (notwithstanding  his  fine  name,)  there  is  little  to  be  found 
besides  abundance  of  evangelical  piety,  couched  under  numberless 
quibbles  and  low  witticisms.  In  the  east,  the  just  way  of  speaking 
and  writing  was  better  preserved  ;  and  the  Greek  tongue  continued 
for  some  time,  almost  in  its  ancient  purity.  St.  Chrysostom  spake  it 
very  well.  His  style,  you  know,  is  copious  ;  but  he  did  not  study 
false  ornaments.  All  his  discourse  tends  to  persuasion  ;  he  placed 
every  thing  with  judgement ;  and  was  well  acquainted  with  the  holy 
scripture,  and  the  manners  of  men.  He  entered  into  their  hearts  ; 
and  rendered  things  familiarly  sensible  to  them.  He  had  sublime 
and  solid  notions;  and  is  sometimes  very  affecting.  Upon  the  whole, 
we  must  own  he  is  a  great  orator.*     St.  Gregory  Nazianzen  is  more 

*  What  are  you  doings,  wicked  wretch  ?  You  require  an  oath  on  the  holy- 
table  ;  and  you  sacrifice  cruelly  your  brother  on  the  same  altar  where  Jesus 
Christ,  who  sacrificed  himself  for  you,  lies?  Thieves  assassinate,  but  then  they 
do  it  in  secret ;  but  you,  in  presence  of  the  church,  our  common  parent,  mur- 
der one  of  her  children,  in  which  you  are  more  wicked  than  Cain  ;  for  he  con- 
cealed his  guilt  in  the  desert,  and  only  deprived  his  brother  of  a  transitory  life; 
but  you  plunge  your  neighbour  into  everlasting-  death,  and  that  in  the  midst  of 
the  temple,  and  before  the  face  of  the  Creator  !  Was  then  the  Lord's  house 
built  forswearing,  aud  not  for  prayer?  Is  the  sacred  altar  to  occasion  the  com- 


108  DlALO(JUES  CONCERNINO  ELOQUENCE. 

concise,  and  more  poetical ;  but  not  quite  so  persuasive.  And  yet  he 
has  several  moving  passages  ;  particularly  in  his  funeral  oration  upon 
his  brother  St.  Basil ;  and  in  his  last  discourse  at  taking  leave  of  Con- 
stantinople. St.  Basil  is  grave,  sententious,  and  rigid  even  in  his 
style.  He  had  meditated  profoundly  on  all  the  truths  of  the  gospel  ; 
he  knew  exactly  all  the  disorders  and  weaknesses  of  human  nature  ; 
and  he  had  a  great  sagacity  in  the  conduct  of  souls.  There  is  noth- 
ing more  eloquent  than  his  epistle  to  a  virgin  that  had  fallen  ;  in  my 
opinion  it  is  a  masterpiece.  But  now  if  a  preacher  should  not  have 
formed  his  taste  in  these  matters  before  he  studies  the  fathers,  he  will 
be  in  danger  of  copying  the  most  inaccurate  parts  of  their  works, 
and  may  perhaps  imitate  their  chief  defects  in  the  sermons  he  compo- 
ses. 

C  But  how  long  continued  this  false  eloquence  which  succeeded 
the  true  kind  ? 

A.  Till  now. 

C.  What  do  you  mean  1  Till  now  ? 

A.  Yes,  till  now  :  for  we  have  not  yet  corrected  our  taste  of  elo- 
q\ience,  so  much  as  we  imagine.  You  will  soon  perceive  the  reason  of  it. 
Vsie  barbarous  nations  that  overran  the  Roman  empire,  did  spread 
ignorance  and  a  bad  taste  every  where.  Now,  we  descended  from 
them.  And  though  learning  began  to  revive  in  the  fifteenth  centu- 
ry ;  it  recovered  then  but  slowly.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
we  were  brought  by  degrees  to  have  any  relish  of  a  right  manner:  and 
even  now,  how  many  are  there  who  have  no  notion  of  it.  However, 
we  ought  to  show  a  due  respect  not  only  to  the  fathers,  but  to  other 
pious  authors,  who  wrote  during  this  long  interval  of  ignorance.  From 

mitting  of  crimes,  in«^tead  of  expiating  Ihem  ?  But  if  every  other  religious  senti- 
ment is  extinguished  in  you,  revere,  at  least,  the  holy  book  with  which  you 
present  your  brother  to  swear  upon.  Open  the  holy  gospel,  on  which  you  are 
going  to  make  him  swear,  and  upon  hearing  what  Christ  Jesus  says  of  swearing, 
t^remble  and  withdraw.  And  what  does  Christ  say  there  ?  "  It  has  been  said 
by  theai  of  old  time,  thou  shalt  not  forswear  thyself.  ,  .  .  But  1  say  unto  you, 
swear  not  at  all."  How  !  you  make  people  swear  on  that  very  book  which 
forbids  the  taking  of  oaths  !  Impious  procedure  !  Horrid  sacrilege  !  This  is  mak- 
ing the  legislator,  who  condemns  murder,  an  accomplice  in  the  guilt  of  it. 

I  ahed  fewer,  tears  when  I  hear  that  a  person  has  been  murdered  on  the 
highway,  tlian  when  I  see  a  man  go  up  (o  the  altar,  lay  his  hand  on  the  holy 
book  of  the  gospels,  and  take  his  oath  aloud.  On  this  occasion,  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  me  to  keep  from  changing  colour,  from  trembling  and  shivering,  both 
for  him  who  administers,  and  for  him  who  takes  the  oath.  Miserable  wretch  I 
to  secure  to  thyself  a  doubtful  sum  of  money,  thou  losest  thy  soul?  Can  the 
benefit  thou  reapest,  be  put  in  competition  with  thine  and  thy  brother's  loss  ? 
If  thou  knowest,  that  he  from  whom  thou  exactest  an  oath  is  a  good  man,  why 
then  art  thou  not  contented  with  his  word  ?  But  if  he  is  not,  why  dost  thou 
force  him  to  forswear  himself  i"  Chrysoslom  against  oaths.  Homil.  xv.  ad  Pop. 
t^ntioch. 


DIALOGUES  CONCEUNING  ELOaUENCK.  109 

them  we  learn  the  traditions  of  their  time,  and  several  other  useful 
instructions.  I  am  quite  ashamed  of  giving  my  judgement  so  freely 
on  this  point :  but,  gentlemen,  ye  desired  me.  And  I  shall  be  very 
ready  to  own  my  mistakes,  if  any  one  will  undeceive  me.  But  it  is 
time  to  put  an  end  to  this  conversation. 

C.  We  cannot  part  with  you  till  you  give  us  your  opinion  about 
the  manner  of  choosing  a  text. 

A.  You  know  very  well  that  the  use  of  texts  arose  from  the  an- 
cient custom  that  preachers  observed,  in  not  delivering  their  own  re- 
flections to  the  people  ;  but  only  explaining  the  words  of  the  sacred 
text.  However,  by  degrees  they  came  to  leave  off  this  way  of  ex- 
pounding the  whole  words  of  the  gospel  that  was  appointed  for  the 
day  ;  and  discoursed  only  upon  one  part  of  it,  which  they  called  the 
toxt  of  the  sermon.  Now  if  a  preacher  does  not  make  an  exact  ex- 
plication of  the  whole  gospel,  or  epistle,  he  ought  at  least  to  choose 
those  words  that  are  most  important ;  and  best  suited  to  the  wants  and 
capacities  of  the  people.  He  ought  to  explain  them  well  ;  and  to 
give  a  right  notion  of  what  is  meant  by  a  single  word,  it  is  ofttimes 
necessary  to  expound  many  others  in  the  context.  But  there  should 
be  nothing  refined  or  far-fetched  in  such  instructions.  It  must  look 
very  strange  and  awkward  in  a  preacher  to  set  up  for  wit  and  delica- 
cy of  invention,  when  he  ought  to  speak  with  the  utmost  seriousness 
and  gravity  ;  out  of  regard  to  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  whose 
words  he  borrows. 

C  I  must  confess  I  always  disliked  a  forced  text.  Have  you  not 
observed  that  a  preacher  draws  from  a  text,  whatever  sermon  he  pleas- 
es ?  He  insensibly  warps  and  bends  his  subject  to  make  the  text  fit 
the  sermon  that  he  has  occasion  to  preach.  This  is  frequently  done 
in  the  time  of  Lent.     I  cannot  approve  of  it. 

B.  Before  we  conclude,  I  must  beg  of  you  to  satisfy  me  as  to 
one  point  that  still  puzzles  me,  and  after  that  we  will  let  you  go. 

A.  Come,  then;  let  us  hear  what  it  is.  I  have  a  great  mind  to 
satisfy  you  if  1  can.  For  I  heartily  wish  you  would  employ  your 
parts  in  making  plain  and  persuasive  sermons. 

a.  You  would  have  a  preacher  explain  the  holy  scriptures  with 
/  connexion,  according  to  the  obvious  sense  of  them. 

A.  Yes ;  that  would  be  an  excellent  method. 

J5.  Whence  then  did  it  proceed  that  the  fathers  interpreted  the 
scripture  quite  otherwise  ?  They  usually  give  a  spiritual,  and  alle- 
gorical meaning  to  the  sacred  text.     Read  St.  Austin,  St.  Ambrose, 


110 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 


St.  Jerome,  Origen,  and  others  of  the  fathers  :  they  find   mysteries 
every  where,  and  seldom  regard  the  letter  of  the  scripture.* 

A.  The  Jews  that  lived  in  our  Saviour's  days  abounded  in  these 
mysterious,  allegorical  interpretations.  It  seems  that  the  Therapeutse, 
who  lived  chiefly  at  Alexandria,  (and  whom  Philo  reckoned  to  be 
philosophical  Jews,  though  Eusebius  supposes  they  were  primitive 
Christians,)  were  extremely  addicted  to  these  mystical  interpreta- 
tions. And  indeed  it  was  in  the  city  of  Alexandria  that  allegories  be- 
gan to  appear  with  credit  among  Christians.  Origen  was  the  first  of 
the  fathers  who  forsook  the  literal  sease  of  scripture.  You  know 
what  disturbance  he  occasioned  in  the  church.  Piety  itself  seemed 
to  recommend  these  allegorical  interpretations.  And  besides,  there 
is  something  in  them  very  agreeable,  ingenious,  and  edifying.  Most 
of  the  fathers,  to  gratify  the  humour  of  the  people  (and  probably  their 
own  too)  made  great  use  of  them.  But  they  kept  faithfully  to  the  lit- 
eral, and  the  prophetical  sense  (which  in  its  kind  is  literal  too)  in  all 
points  where  they  had  occasion  to  show  the  foundations  of  the  chris- 
tian doctrine.  When  the  people  were  fully  instructed  in  every  thing 
they  could  learn  from  the  letter  of  scripture  ;  the  fathers  gave  them 
those  mystical  interpretations,  to  edify  and  comfort  them.  These  ex- 
plications were  exactly  adapted  to  the  relish  of  the  eastern  people, 
among  whom  they  first  arose  :  for  they  are  naturally  fond  of  myste- 
rious and  allegorical  language.  They  were  the  more  delighted  with 
this  varieiy  of  interpretations,  because  of  the  frequent  preaching,  and 
almost  constant  reading  of  scripture,  which  was  used  in  the  church. 
But  among  us  the  people  are  far  less  instructed  ;  we  must  do  what  is 
most  necessary  ;  and  begin  with  the  literal  sense  ;  without  despising  the 
pious  explications  that  the  fathers  gave.  We  must  take  care  of  pro- 
viding our  daily  bread,  before  we  seek  after  delicacies.  In  interpret- 
ing scripture,  we  cannot  do  better,  than  to  imitate  the  solidity  of  St. 
Chrysostom.  Most  of  our  modern  preachers  do  not  study  allegorical 
meanings,  because  they  have  sufficiently  explained  the  literal  sense  ; 
but  they  forsake  it,  because  they  do  not  perceive  its  grandeur  ;  and 
reckon  it  dry  and  barren  in  comparison  of  their  way  of  preaching. 
But  we  have  all  the  truths  and  duties  of  religion  in  the  letter  of  the 
scripture,  delivered  not  only  with  authority,  and  a  singular  beauty, 
but  with  an  inexhaustible  variety  ;  so  that,  without  having  recourse 
to  mystical  interpretations,  a  preacher  may  always  have  a  great  num- 
ber of  new  and  noble  things  to  say.     It  is  a  deplorable  thing  to  see 


*  See  note  A.  at  the  end  of  the  extract  from  Fenelon's  Letter  to  the  French 
Academy. 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOaUENCE.  Ill 

how  much  this  sacred  treasure  is  neglected,  even  by  those  who  have 
it  always  in  their  hands.  If  the  clergy  applied  themselves  to  the  an- 
cient way  of  making  homilies,  we  should  then  have  two  different  sorts 
of  preachers.  They  who  have  no  vivacity,  or  a  poetical  genius,  would 
explain  the  scriptures  clearly,  without  imitating  its  lively,  noble  man- 
ner;  and  if  they  expounded  the  word  God  judiciously,  and  supported 
their  doctrine  by  an  exemplary  life,  they  would  be  very  good  preach- 
ers. They  would  have  what  St.  Ambrose  requires,  a  chaste,  simple, 
clear  style,  full  of  weight  and  gravity  ;  without  affecting  elegance, 
or  despising  the  smoothness  and  graces  of  language.  The  other  sort, 
having  a  poetical  turn  of  mind,  would  explain  the  scripture  in  its  own 
style  and  figures  ;  and  by  that  means  become  accomplished  preach- 
ers. One  sort  would  instruct  people  with  clearness,  force,  and  digni- 
ty ;  and  the  other  would  add  to  this  powerful  instruction,  the  sublim- 
ity, the  enthusiasm,*  and  vehemence  of  scripture  ;  so  that  it  would 
(if  I  may  so  say)  be  entire,  and  living  in  them,  as  much  as  it  can  be 
in  men  who  are  not  miraculously  inspired  from  above. 

B.  Oh,  Sir ;  I  had  almost  forgot  an  important  article.  Have  a 
moment's  patience,  I  beseech  you  ;  a  few  words  will  satisfy  me. 

A.  What  now  ?     Have  you  any  body  else  to  censure  ? 

B.  Yes  ;  the  panegyrists.  Do  you  think  that  when  they  praise 
a  saint,  they  ought  so  to  give  his  character,  as  to  reduce  all  his  ac- 
tions and  all  his  virtues  to  one  point  ? 

A.  That  shows  the  orator's  invention  and  fefined  sense. 

B.  I  understand  you.     It  seems  you  do  not  like  that  method. 

*  Inspiration  may  be  justly  called  divine  enlhusiasm — for  inspiration  is  a 
real  feeling  of  the  divine  presence  ;  and  enthusiasm  a  false  one.  Characteris- 
l  ics^  Vol.  i.  p.  53. 

This  is  what  our  author  advances,  when  in  behalf  of  enthusiasm  he  quotes 
its  formal  enemies,  and  shows  that  they  are  as  capable  of  it  as  its  greatest  con- 
fessors and  martyrs.  So  far  is  he  from  degrading'  enthusiasm.,  or  disclaiming  it 
in  himself,  that  he  looks  upon  this  passion,  simply  considered,  as  the  most  nat- 
ural ;  and  its  object,  the  justest  in  the  world.  Even  virtue  itself  he  takes  to 
be  no  other  than  a  noble  enthusiasm,  justly  directed  and  regulated  by  that 
high  standard  which  he  supposes  in  the  nature  of  things — nor  is  thorough  hon- 
esty.,  in  his  hypothesis,  any  other  than  this  zeal,  or  passion,  moving  strongly  upon 
the  species,  or  view  of  the  decorum  and  sublime  of  actions.  Others  may  pursue 
different  forms,  and  fix  their  eye  on  different  species,  (as  all  men  do  on  one  or 
other  ;■)  the  real  honest  m,an.,  however  plain  or  simple  he  appears,  has  that  high- 
est species  [the  honestum  pulchrwrn.,  to  y.ai.ov  Tr^fjrov]  honesty  itself  in  view  ; 
and,  instead  of  outward  forms  or  symmetries,  is  struck  with  that  of  inward 
character,  the  harmony,  and  numbers  of  the  heart,  and  beauty  of  the  affec- 
tions, which  form  the  manners,  and  conduct  of  a  truly  social  life — upon  the 
whole  therefore,  according  to  our  author,  enthusiasm  is  in  itself  a  very  nat- 
ural, honest  passion,  and  has  properly  nothing  for  its  object  but  what  is  good 
a.nd  honest.  Char.  Vol.  iii.  Miscel.  2.  ch.  1, 


IVi  DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE. 

A.  I  think  it  wrong  in  most  cases.  He  must  put  a  force  upon 
things,  who  reduces  them  all  to  a  single  point.  There  are  many  ac- 
tions of  one's  life  that  flow  from  divers  principles,  and  plainly  show  that 
he  possessed  very  different  qualities.  The  way  of  referring  all  the  steps 
of  a  man's  conduct  to  one  cause,  is  but  a  scholastic  subtilty,  which 
shows  that  the  orator  is  far  from  knowing  human  nature.  The  true 
way  to  draw  a  just  character,  is  to  paint  the  whole  man,  and  to  set 
him  before  the  hearer's  eyes,  speaking  and  acting.  In  describing  the 
course  of  his  life,  the  preacher  should  chiefly  point  out  those  passa- 
ges wherein  either  his  natural  temper,  or  his  piety  best  appeared.  But 
there  should  always  be  something  left  to  the  hearer's  own  observation. 
The  best  way  of  praising  holy  persons  is  to  recount  their  laudable 
actions.  This  gives  a  body  and  force  to  a  panegyric  :  this  is  what 
instructs  people  ;  and  makes  an  impression  upon  their  minds.  But 
it  frequently  happens  that  they  return  home  without  knowing  any 
thing  of  a  person's  life,  about  whom  they  have  heard  an  hour's  dis- 
course :  or  at  least,  they  have  heard   many  remarks  upon  a  few  sep- 

tarate  facts,  related  without  any  connexion.  On  the  contrary,  a  preach- 
er ought  to  paint  a  person  to  the  life  ;  and  show  what  he  was  in  ev- 
ery period,  in  every  condition,  and  in  the  most  remarkable  junctures 
of  his  life.  This  could  not  hinder  one  from  forming  a  character  of 
him  :  nay,  it  might  be  better  collected  from  his  actions,  and  his 
words,  than  from  general  thoughts,  and  imaginary  designs. 

B.  You  would  choose  then  to  give  the  history  of  a  holy  person's 
life,  and  not  make  a  panegyric. 

A.  No  ;  you  mistake  me.  I  would  not  make  a  simple  narration. 
I  should  think  it  enough  to  give  a  coherent  view  of  the  chief  facts  in 
a  concise,  lively,  close,  pathetic  manner.  Every  thing  should  help  to 
give  a  just  idea  of  the  holy  person  I  praised ;  and  at  the  same  time 
to  give  proper  instruction  to  the  hearers.  To  this  I  would  add  such 
moral  reflections,  as  I  should  think  most  suitable.  Now  do  not  you 
think  that  such  a  discourse  as  this  would  have  a  noble  and  amiable 
simplicity  ?  Do  not  you  believe  that  the  lives  of  holy  people  would 
be  better  understood  this  way,  and  an  audience  be  more  edified  than 
they  generally  are?  Do  you  not  think  that  according  to  the  rules  of 
eloquence  we  laid  down,  such  a  discourse  would  even  be  more  elo- 
quent than  those  overstrained  panegyrics  that  are  commonly  made  ? 

B.  I  am  of  opinion  that  such  sermons  as  you  speak  of  would  be 
as  instructive,  as  affecting,  and  as  agreeable  as  any  other.  I  am 
now  satisfied,  Sir  ;  it  is  time  to  release  you.  I  hope  the  pains  you 
have  taken  with  me  will  not  be  lost;  for  I  have  resolved  to  part  with 


DIALOGUES  CONCERNING  ELOQUENCE.  113 

all  my  modern  collections,  and  Italian  wits ;  and  in  a  serious  manner 
to  study  the  whole  connexion  and  principles  of  religion  ;  by  tracino- 
them  back  to  their  source. 

C.  Farewell,   Sir;     the  best   acknowledgement  I  can   make,    is 
to  assure  you  that  I  will  have  a  great  regard  to  what  you  have  said. 

A.  Gentlemen,  good  night.  I  will  leave  you  with  these  words  of 
St.  Jerome  to  Nepotian  :  '  When  you  teach  in  the  church,  do  not  en-  • 
deavour  to  draw  applause,  but  rather  sighs  and  groans  from  the  peo- 
ple ;  let  their  tears  praise  you.*  The  discourses  of  a  clergyman 
should  be  full  of  the  holy  scripture.  Be  not  a  declaimer,  but  a  true 
teacher  of  the  mysteries  of  God.' 

*  "  When  you  observe  a  hearer  in  silence,  not  uttering'  a  word,  but  sor- 
rowful, dejected,  thoughtful,  and  in  this  condition  returning^  straight  home, 
and  by  his  conduct,  displaying  the  fruits  of  preaching  ;  you  ought  to  make 
more  account  of  such  a  one,  than  of  him  vi^ho  crowns  the  preacher  with 
praise  and  applause."  OslerraWs  Lrct.  \i. 


EXTRACT 

FROM 

THE  LETTER  OF  M.  FENELON 

TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY. 

Rhetoric  has  no  such  influence  among  us,  as  it  had  among  the 
ancients.  Public  assemblies  meet  only  for  shows  and  ceremonies. 
We  have  scarce  any  remains  of  a  powerful  eloquence,  either  of  our 
old  parliaments,  or  our  general  states,  or  our  assemblies  of  chief  per- 
sons. Every  thing  is  determined  secretly  in  cabinet-councils,  or  in 
some  particular  negotiation  ;  so  that  our  people  have  no  encourage- 
ment to  use  such  application  as  the  Greeks  did,  to  raise  themselves 
by  the  art  of  persuasion.  The  public  use  of  eloquence  is  now  almost 
confined  to  the  pulpit  and  the  bar. 

The  warmth  of  our  lawyers  to  gain  a  cause  relating  to  the  estate 
of  a  private  person,  cannot  equal  the  ambition  which  the  Greek  ora- 
tors had  to  possess  themselves  of  the  supreme  authority  in  a  common- 
wealth. A  lawyer  loses  nothing ;  nay,  he  gets  his  fee,  though  he 
lose  the  cause  he  undertook.  Is  he  young  ?  he  applies  himself 
to  plead  elegantly,  that  he  may  acquire  some  reputation,  without 
having  ever  studied  either  the  grounds  of  the  law,  or  the  great 
models  of  antiquity.  Has  he  established  his  character  ?  he  leaves  off 
pleading,  and  enriches  himself  by  chamber-practice.  The  most  val- 
uable lawyers  are  those  who  set  facts  in  a  clear  light ;  who  recur  to 
some  fixed  principle  of  law  ;  and  answer  all  objections  according  to 
it.  But  where  are  those  who  have  the  art  of  forcing  the  assent,  and 
moving  the  hearts  of  a  whole  people  ? 

Shall  I  presume  to  speak  with  the  same  freedom  concerning 
preachers  ?  God  knows  how  much  I  reverence  the  ministers  of  his 
word.  But  I  cannot  offend  any  particular  person  among  them,  by 
observing  in  general,  that  they  are  not  all  equally  humble  and  disin- 
terested. Young  men,  who  have  little  reputation,  are  too  forward  in 
preaching.  People  fancy  they  see  that  those  seek  their  own  glo- 
ry more  than  God's  ;  and  that  they  are  more  earnest  about  making 
their  fortune,  than  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 


LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY.  115 

They  talk  like  sparkling  orators,  rather  than  like  ministers  of 
Christ,  and  stewards  of  his  mysteries.  It  was  not  with  this  vain  pomp 
of  words  that  St.  Peter  preached  the  cruciiied  Jesus,  in  those  sermons 
which  converted  so  many  thousand  people. 

Would  we  learn  the  rules  of  a  serious,  effectual  eloquence  from 
St.  Austin  ?  He  follows  Cicero  in  distinguishing  three  different  kinds 
of  speaking.  He  says  we  must  speak  submissively,  in  a  humble,  fa- 
miliar way  ;  mildly,  m  an  engaging,  soft,  insinuating  manner,  to  make 
people  love  the  truth  ;  and,  nobly,  that  is,  in  a  lofty,  vehement  strain, 
when  we  would  captivate  men,  and  rescue  them  from  the  dominion 
of  their  passions.  He  adds,  that  the  only  reason  for  using  such  ex- 
pressions as  may  please  people,  is  because  there  are  few  men  reason- 
able enough  to  relish  such  truths  in  a  discourse,  as  are  quite  dry  and 
naked.  As  for  the  sublime  and  vehement  kind,  he  would  not  have 
it  florid  ;  "  nor  embellished  with  the  ornaments  of  speech  ;  but  rath- 
er full  of  the  most  pathetic  emotions.*  For  the  speaker,  following  the 
impulse  of  his  thoughts,  does  not  industriously  study  the  beauties  of 
elocution ;  but  naturally  uses  such  as  rise  from  the  subject  itself." 
The  same  father  observes,  that  a  man  who  fights  resolutely  with  a 
sword,  enriched  with  gold  and  jewels,  uses  these  arms,  (without  re- 
garding the  value  of  them,)  because  they  are  fit  for  fighting.  He 
adds,  that  God  had  permitted  St.  Cyprian  to  use  some  affected  orna- 
ments in  his  letter  to  Donatus,  that  posterity  might  see  how  much  the 
purity  of  the  Christian  doctrine  had  corrected  this  superfluous  vanity, 
and  brought  him  to  a  more  grave  and  modest  eloquence. 

But  nothing  can  be  more  affecting  than  the  two  stories  that  St. 
Austin  relates,  to  show  us  the  true  way  of  preaching  with  success. 
In  the  first  instance,  he  was  as  yet  but  a  priest.  The  holy  bishop 
Valerius  appointed  him  to  preach  to  the  people  of  Hippo,  in  order  to 
reclaim  them  from  riotous  feasting  on  solemn  days.t  He  opened  the 
scriptures,  and  read  to  them  the  most  vehement  and  threatening  re- 
proaches. He  earnestly  besought  his  hearers,  '  by  the  ignominies 
and  the  sorrows,  by  the  cross,  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  not  to  destroy 
themselves  ;  to  pity  him  who  spake  to  them  with  so  much  affection  : 
and  to  show  some  regard  to  their  venerable  old  bishop,  who,  out  of 
tenderness  to  them,  had  commanded  him  to  instruct  them  in  the  truth. 
^I  did  not  make  them  weep,  (says  he,)  by  first  weeping  over  them  : 

*  Non  tam  vcrboruai  ornatibus  Cdnituin  est,  quam  riolentum  animi  aifec- 
tibus — fertur  quippe  impetu  suo,  et  elocutiouis  pulchritudinem,  si  occur- 
rerit,  \i  rerum  rapit,  non  cura  decoris  assumit, — Aug.  de  Doct.  Chr.  L.  iv. 

+  Episl.  x's.ix.ad  Alyp. 


116  LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY. 

but  while  I  preached,  their  tears  prevented  mine.  I  own  that  then 
I  could  not  restrain  myself.  After  we  had  wept  toorether,  I  began  to 
entertain  great  hope  of  their  amendment.'  On  this  occasion  he  quite 
varied  from  the  discourse  he  had  prepared  ;  because  he  did  not  now 
think  it  suitable  to  their  penitent  disposition.  In  fine,  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  this  people  tractable  and  reformed,  from  that 
very  day. 

The  other  occasion,  wherein  he  powerfully  swayed  the  minds  of 
his  audience,  is  thus  related  by  himself:  '  We  must  not  imagine  that 
a  man  has  spoken  in  a  lofty,  sublime  manner,  when  he  receives  many 
acclamations,  and  great  applause.  These  are  sometimes  given  to  the 
lowest  turns  of  wit,  and  the  ornaments  of  the  moderate  sort  of  elo- 
quence. But  the  sublime  strain  ofttimes  overwhelms  people's  minds 
with  its  vehemence  :  it  renders  them  speechless  :  it  melts  them  into 
tears.  When  I  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  people  of  Cssarea  in 
Mauritania,  to  abolish  a  combat  among  the  citizens,  in  which  rela- 
tions, brothers,  fathers,  and  sons,  being  divided  into  two  parties, 
fought  publicly  for  several  days,  at  a  certain  time  of  the  year  ;  and 
every  man  endeavoured  to  kill  the  person  he  attacked  :  according  to 
the  utmost  of  my  ability,  I  used  the  most  pathetic  expressions  to  ex- 
tirpate such  a  cruel,  inveterate  custom  from  the  minds  and  manners 
of  this  people.  However,  I  thought  I  had  done  nothing,  while  I  on- 
ly heard  their  acclamations.  But  their  tears  gave  me  some  hope  : 
their  applauses  showed  that  I  had  instructed  them  ;  and  that  they 
were  pleased  with  my  discourse  :  but  their  tears  declared  that  their 
minds  were  changed.  When  I  saw  them  weep,  I  believed  that  this 
horrible  custom  they  had  received  from  their  ancestors,  and  been  so 
long  enslaved  to,  would  be  abolished — it  is  now  eight  years  ago,  and 
upwards,  and  by  the  grace  of  God  they  have  been  restrained  from  at- 
tempting any  such  practice.'  If  St.  Austin  had  weakened  his  dis- 
course by  the  affected  ornaments  of  the  florid  kind  of  rhetoric,  he 
would  never  have  been  able  to  reform  the  people  of  Hippo  and  Cae- 
sarea. 

Demosthenes  likewise  followed  this  rule  of  true  eloquence.  '  O 
Athenians !  (said  he)  do  not  fancy  that  Philip  is  like  a  deity,  assur- 
ed of  success  in  all  his  attempts.  Among  those  Avho  seem  devoted 
to  his  interest,  there  are  some  that  hate,  and  dread,  and  envy  him — 
but  your  negligence  and  sloth  puts  all  things  to  a  stand. — Consider, 
O  Athenians,  to  what  condition  ye  are  reduced.  This  wicked  man 
is  gone  so  far  as  to  leave  you  no  choice  between  vigilance  and  inac- 
tivity.    They  say  he  threatens  you ;  and  talks  arrogantly.     He  is 


LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY.  117 

not  content  now  with  what  he  has  already  conquered  :  he  forms  new 
projects  every  day  ;  and  lays  snares  for  you  on  all  sides,  while  you 
continue  still  backward  and  slothful.  When  then,  O  Athenians ! 
when  is  it  that  ye  will  do  what  ye  ought  to  do  ?  when  will  ye  attempt 
something  1  when  will  necessity  determine  you  to  act  ?  what  must 
we  think  of  what  is  now  a-doing  1  In  my  opinion,  no  necessity  can 
be  more  urgent  upon  a  free  people  than  what  arises  from  the  shame 
of  their  past  ill  conduct.  Will  ye  still  wander  about  in  public  places 
inquiring  after  news  ?  what  stranger  news  can  there  be,  than  that  a 
man  of  Macedon  subdues  the  Athenians,  and  governs  all  Greece  ?  is 
Philip  dead  ?  says  one  :  no,  says  another,  he  is  only  sick  :  what  avails 
it,  which  he  is  ?  for  if  he  were  dead,  you  would  soon  raise  up  anoth- 
er Philip.'  Here  good  sense  speaks  without  any  other  ornament  than 
its  native  force.  The  orator  makes  the  truth  plain  to  all  the  people  : 
he  awakens  them  :  he  spurs  them  on  to  action  :  he  shows  them  their 
impending  ruin.  Every  thing  is  spoken  for  the  common  good  ;  not  a 
word  to  show  his  own  wit  :  there  is  no  glittering  thought :  all  tends 
to  instruct  and  move  the  people. 

Indeed  the  Romans  began  very  late  to  follow  the  example   of  the 
Greeks,  in  improving  polite  learning. 

Graiis  ingenium,  Graiis  dedit  ore  rotuodo 
Musa  loqui,  praeter  laudem  nuUius  avaris. 
Romani  pueri  longis  rationibus  assem 
Discunt  in  partes  centum  deducere- 


Hor.  de  Ar.  Poet.  v.  323. 

The  Romans  were  employed  about  their  laws  and  rights ;  about 
war,  and  husbandry,  and  commerce :  which  gave  Virgil  occasion  to 
say: 

Excudent  alii  spirantia  mollius  aera  ; 

Credo  equidem  ;  vivos  ducent  de  marmore  vultus. 

Orabunt  causas  melius ; — 

Tu  regere  imperio  populos,  Romane,  memento  ; 
Hae  tibi  erunt  artes  ; — 

Aen.  vi.  v.  848. 

Sallust  finely  describes  the  manners  of  ancient  Rome  ;  even  while 
he  owns  that  she  neglected  literature.  '  The  most  prudent  (says  he) 
were  always  the  busiest.  No  one  exercised  his  wit  more  than  his 
body.  The  worthiest  persons  chose  rather  to  act  wisely,  than  to  de- 
claim :  and  to  have  their  brave  deeds  applauded  by  others  ;  rather 
than  to  bury  themselves  in  recording  their  neighbour's  good  ac- 
tions.' 

We  must  acknowledge,  however,  according  to  Livy's  testimony. 


118  LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY. 

that  a  strong  and  popular  eloquence  was  well  cultivated  at  Rome  in 
the  days  of  Manlius.  This  man,  who  had  saved  the  capitol  trom  the 
Gauls,  tried  to  stir  up  the  people  to  sedition.  "  How  long,"  said  he, 
"  will  ye  be  ignorant  of  your  strength  ;  which  nature  discovers  to  the 
very  beasts?  Count  at  least  how  many  ye  are — I  should  think  ye 
would  fight  more  resolutely  for  liberty,  than  those  men  for  domin- 
ion. How  long  will  ye  look  upon  me  1  Ye  may  all  of  you  depend 
on  me  to  the  utmost,"  &c.  This  powerful  orator  persuaded  all  the 
people  to  pardon  him,  stretching  out  his  hands  towards  the  capitol, 
which  he  had  formerly  saved.  Nor  could  his  death  be  obtained  of 
the  multitude,  till  he  was  carried  into  a  sacred  wood  :  whence  he 
could  no  longer  show  them  the  capitol.  "  The  Tribunes  found," 
says  Livy,  "that  seeing  the  people's  minds  were  so  strongly  prepos- 
sessed with  the  merit  of  Manlius,  it  would  be  impossible  to  persuade 
them  he  was  really  guilty,  unless  they  could  carry  them  out  of  the 
sight  of  the  capitol,  which  reminded  them  of  his  glorious  service. 
Then  his  crime  appeared." 

Every  one  knows  what  troubles  eloquence  occasioned  among 
the  Greeks.  At  Rome,  Cataline's  oratory  brought  the  republic  to 
the  brink  of  ruin.  But  that  eloquence  tended  only  to  persuade  peo- 
ple, and  to  move  their  passions.  Wit  was  never  employed  in  it.  A  flor- 
id declaimer  could  have  had  no  influence  in  public  affairs. 

Nothing  can  be  more  artless  than  Brutus,  when  he  writes  to  Cic- 
ero with  such  an  air  of  superiority,  as  to  reprove  and  silence  him. 
"  You  beg  our  life  and  safety  of  Octavius,"  says  he  ;  "  what  death 
could  be  so  bad  ?  By  this  request  you  show  that  tyranny  is  not  de- 
stroyed ;  and  that  we  have  only  changed  our  tyrant.  Consider  your 
own  words  ;  and  deny  if  you  can,  that  such  a  petition  is  fit  to  be  of- 
fered to  none  but  a  king ;  and  from  a  slave  too.  You  say,  that  you 
ask  and  expect  only  one  favour  of  him ;  that  he  would  save  the  lives 
of  those  citizens  who  are  esteemed  by  persons  of  worth,  and  by  all 
the  Roman  people.  What,  then  ;  unless  he  should  graciously  please, 
we  must  not  live !  But  it  is  better  to  die  than  to  owe  our  lives  to  him. 
No  :  I  cannot  think  the  gods  are  such  declared  enemies  to  the  safe- 
ty of  Rome,  as  to  be  willing  that  the  life  of  any  citizen  should  be 
begged  of  Octavius  ;  and  far  less  the  lives  of  those  who  are  the  deliv- 
erers of  the  universe.  O  Cicero !  can  you  confess  that  he  has  such 
power  !  and  still  be  one  of  his  friends  ?  Or  if  you  love  me,  can  you 
desire  to  see  me  at  Rome,  when  I  cannot  come  thither  without  ob- 
taining that  boy's  permission  ?  For  what  do  you  thank  him,  if  you 
think  that  our  life  must  still  be  begged  of  him  as  a  favour  ?     Must  we 


LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY.  119 

reckon  it  a  happiness  (hat  he  chooses  to  have  such  favours  asked  rath- 
er of  him,  than  of  Antony  ? — This  weakness  and  despair,  which  oth- 
ers are  guilty  of  as  well  as  you,  first  emboldened  Caesar  to  make  him- 
self king. — But  if  we  remembered  that  we  are  Romans,  the  ambition 
of  these  base  men  to  usurp  the  government,  would  not  have  been 
greater  than  our  courage  in  defending  it.  I  am  afraid  that  you,  who 
have  been  consul,  and  avenged  the  public  of  so  many  crimes,  have 
thereby  only  delayed  our  ruin  for  a  short  while.  How  can  you  be- 
hold what  you  have  done  ?"  How  weak,  indecent,  and  mean,  must 
this  discourse  have  appeared,  if  it  had  been  filled  with  witticisms  and 
quaint  conceits ! 

But  now,  shall  those,  who  (Jught  to  speak  like  apostles,  gather  up, 
with  industrious  affectation,  those  flowers  of  rhetoric  which  Demosthe- 
nes, Manlius,  and  Brutus,  trampled  on  ?  Shall  we  imagine  that  the 
ministers  of  the  gospel  have  less  concern  for  the  eternal  salvation  of 
souls,  than  Demosthenes  for  the  liberty  of  his  country  ;  less  zeal  to 
do  good,  than  Manlius  had  ambition  to  seduce  the  multitude  ;  or  less 
resolution  than  Brutus,  who  chose  death  rather  than  to  owe  his  life  to 
a  tyrant  ? 

I  own,  that  the  florid  kind  of  eloquence  has  its  beauties  :  but  they 
are  quite  misapplied  in  those  discourses  that  ought  to  be  animated 
with  the  noblest  passions  ;  and  wherein  there  is  no  room  for  delicate 
turns  of  wit.  The  florid  sort  of  rhetoric  can  never  come  up  to  the 
true  sublime.  What  would  the  ancients  have  said  of  a  tragedy, 
wherein  Hecuba  laments  her  misfortunes  with  points  of  wit  1  True 
grief  does  not  talk  thus.  Or  what  could  we  think  of  a  preacher  who 
should,  in  the  most  affected  jingle  of  words,  show  sinners  the  divine 
judgement  hanging  over  their  heads,  and  hell  open  under  their  feet? 
There  is  a  decency  to  be  observed  in  our  language,  as  in  our  clothes.* 
A  disconsolate  widow  does  not  mourn  in  fringes,  ribbons,  and  em- 
broidery. And  an  apostolical  minister  ought  not  to  preach  the  word 
of  God  in  a  pompous  style,  full  of  affected  ornaments.  The  Pagans 
would  not  have  endured  to  see  even  a  comedy  so  ill  acted. 

Ut  ridentibus  arrident,  ita  flentibus  adflent 

Humani  vultus.      Si  vis  me  flere,  doiendum  est 

Primum  ipsi  tibi ;  tunc  tua  me  infortunia  laedent, 

Telephe,  vel  Feleu  ;   male  si  mandata  loqueris, 

Aut  dormitabo,  ant  ridebo  ;  tristia  moestiim' 

Vultum  verba  decent Hor.  de  Ar.  Poet.  v.  lOl. 

*  Nunc  quid  aptum  sit,  hoc  est,  quid  maxime  deceat  in  oratione,  videamus ; 
quamquam  id  quidem  perspicuum  est,  nou  omni  causae,  nee  auditori,  neque 
personae,  neque  tempori  congruere  oratiouis  unum  genus — omnique  in  re  posse 
quod  deceat  facere,  artis  et  naturae  est  ;  scire,  quid,  quandoque  deceat,  pru- 
dentiae.  Cicero  de  Oral.  lib.  iii.  }  53. 


120  LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY. 

We  must  not  judge  so  unfavourably  of  eloquence  as  to  reckon  it 
only  a  frivolous  art,  that  a  declaimer  uses  to  impose  upon  the  weak 
imagination  of  the  multitude,  and  to  serve  his  own  ends.  It  is  a  very 
serious  art ;  designed  to  instruct  people ;  suppress  their  passions ; 
and  reform  their  manners ;  to  support  the  laws ;  direct  public  coun- 
cils ;  and  to  make  men  good  and  happy.  The  more  pains  a  haran- 
guer  takes  to  dazzle  me,  by  the  artifices  of  his  discourse,  the  more 
I  should  despise  his  vanity.  His  eagerness  to  display  his  wit  would 
in  my  judgement  render  him  unworthy  of  the  least  admiration.  I 
love  a  serious  preacher,  who  speaks  for  my  sake,  and  not  for  his  own  ; 
who  seeks  my  salvation,  and  not  his  own  vain-glory.  He  best  de- 
serves to  be  heard,  who  uses  speech  only  to  clothe  his  thoughts  ;  and 
his  thoughts  only  to  promote  truth  and  virtue.  Nothing  is  more  des- 
picable than  a  professed  declaimer,  who  retails  his  discourses  as  a 
quack  does  his  medicines. 

T  am  willing  this  point  should  be  determined  by  the  very  heathens. 
Plato  wouW  not  permit  in  his  republic  such  effeminate  notes  of  music 
as  the  Lydians  used.  The  Lacedemonians  excluded  from  theirs  all 
instruments  that  were  too  compounded  ;  lest  they  should  soften  the 
people's  temper.  Such  harmony  as  serves  merely  to  please  the  ear, 
is  an  amusement  fit  only  for  soft  and  idle  persons  ;  and  is  unworthy  of  a 
well  ordered  commonwealth.  It  is  no  farther  valuable  than  the  souiids 
agree  to  the  sense  of  the  words  ;  and  the  words  inspire  virtuous  sen- 
timents. Painting,  sculpture,  and  other  elegant  arts,  ought  to  have 
the  same  end.  This  ought  undoubtedly  to  be  the  design  of  eloquence 
too.  Pleasure  ought  to  be  mixed  with  it  only  to  serve  as  a  counter- 
poise to  men's  vicious  passions  ;  and  to  render  virtue  amiable. 

I  would  have  an  orator  prepare  himself  a  long  time  by  general 
study,  to  acquire  a  large  stock  of  knowledge  ;  and  to  qualify  himself 
for  composing  well ;  that  so  he  might  need  the  less  preparation  for 
each  particular  discourse.  I  would  have  him  naturally  a  man  of  good 
sense ;  and  to  reduce  all  he  says  to  good  sense,*  as  the  standard  of 
his  discourse.  His  studies  should  be  solid  ;  he  should  apply  himself 
to  reason  justly ;  and  industriously  avoid  all  subtile  and  over-refined 
notions.  He  should  distrust  his  imagination  ;  and  not  let  it  influence 
his  judgement.  He  should  ground  every  discourse  upon  some  ev- 
ident principle  ;  and  from  that  draw  the  most  obvious  and  natural 
consequences. 

*  Caeterarum  artium  studia  fere  reconditis,  alque  abditis  e  fontibus  hauri- 
untur ;  dicendi  autem  omnis  ratio  in  medio  posita,  communi  quodam  in  usU, 
atque  in  hotninum  more  et  sermone  versatur  ;  ut  in  caeteris  id  maxirae  excel- 
lat,  quod  longissime  sit  ab  imperitorum  intelli§:entia  sensuque  disjunctum  ;  ia 
dicendo  autem  vitium  vel  maximum  est,  a  vulg-ari  genere  orationis,  atque  a 
consuetudine  communis  sensus  abhorrere.  Ciuro  de  Oral.  lib.  i.  i  3. 


LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY.  121 

Scribendi  recte  sapere  est  et  principium  etfons  ; 
Rem  tibi  Socraticae  poterunt  ostendere  chartae  ; 
Verbaque  provisani  rem  non  invita  sequentiir. 
Qui  didicit  patriae,  quid  debeat,  et  quid  amicis, 
Quo  sit  amore  parens,  quo  frater  amandus  et  hospes  ; 

' ille  profecto 

Reddere  personae  scit  convenieutia  cuique. 

Hor.  de  c4r.  Poet.  v.  309. 

Generally  speaking,  a  florid  declaimer  knows  neither  the  princi- 
ples of  sound  philosophy,  nor  those  of  the  christian  doctrine,  for  per- 
fecting the  manners  of  men.  He  minds  nothing  but  bright  ex- 
pressions, and  ingenious  turns.  What  he  chiefly  wants  is  solid 
knowledge.  He  can  talk  handsomely,  without  knowing  what  he 
ought  to  say.  He  weakens  the  most  important  truths  by  his  vain  and 
elaborate  turns  of  fancy,  or  expression. 

On  the  contrary,  the  true  orator  adorns  his  discourse  only  with  bright 
truths,*  noble  sentiments,  and  such  strong  expressions  as  are  adapted 
to  his  subject,  and  to  the  passions  he  would  excite.  He  thinks  ;  he 
feels  ;  and  his  words  naturally  flow  from  him.  '  He  does  not  depend 
on  words,  (says  St.  Austin,)  but  they  on  him.'  A  man  that  has  a 
great  and  active  soul,  with  a  natural  easiness  of  speech,  improved  by 
practice,  needs  never  fear  the  want  of  expressions.  His  most  ordina- 
ry discourses  will  have  exquisite  strokes  of  oratory  that  the  florid  ha- 
ranguers  can  never  imitate.  He  is  not  a  slave  to  words, f  but  closely 
pursues  the  truth.  He  knows  that  vehemence  is  as  it  were  the  soul 
of  eloquence.  He  first  lays  down  the  principle  which  must  serve  to 
clear  the  subject  he  treats  of.  He  sets  this  principle  in  the  fullest 
light.  He  turns  it  every  way  to  give  his  slowest  hearers  a  clear  view 
of  it.  He  draws  the  remotest  consequences  from  it  by  a  concise 
and  obvious  train  of  reasoning.  Every  truth  is  set  in  its  proper  place 
with  regard  to  the  whole  ;  it  prepares,  leads  on,  and  supports,  anoth- 
er truth  that  needed  its  assistance.  This  just  order  prevents  the 
trouble  of  needless  repetitions  ;  but  it  retrenches  none  of  those  useful 
ones,  that  serve  to  direct  the  hearer's  attention  frequently  to  that 
chief  point  on  which  the  whole  depends.  The  orator  must  often  show 
him  the  conclusion  that  is  contained  in  the  principle,  and  from  this 
principle,  as  from  the  centre,  he  must  spread  a  due  light  over  all  the 
parts  of  the  discourse  ;  as  a  skilful  painter  places  the   light  so  in  his 


*  Sed  ornatus  (repetam  enim)  virilis,  fortis  et  sanctus  sit  ;  nee  effoemina- 
tam  laevitatem,  nee  fueo  eminentem  colorem  amet ;  sanguine  et  viribus  nite- 
at.  Quint,  lib.  viii.  c.  3. 

t  Propterea  non  debet  quisquam  ubi  maxima  rerum  momenta  versantur, 
de  verbis  esse  solicitus.  Quint,  lib.  viii.  c.  3. 

16 


122  LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY. 

picture,  as  from  one  single  point  to  distribute  a  due  proportion  of  it  to 

every  figure.     The  whole  discourse   is  one  ;  and  may    be  reduced  to 

one  single  proposition,  set  in  the  strongest  light,  by  various  views  and 

explications  of  it.     This  unity  of  design  shows  the  whole  performance 

at  one  view  ;  as  in  the  public  places  of  a  city,  one  may  see  all  the 

streets  and  gates  of  it,  when  the  streets  are  straight,  equal,  and   duly 

proportioned.     The  discourse  is  the  proposition  unfolded ;  and  the 

proposition  is  an  abstract  of  the  discourse. 

Denique  sit  quodvis  simplex  duntaxat  et  unum. 

Hor.  de  JLr.  Poet,  v.  23. 

He  who  perceives  not  the  beauty  and  force  of  this  unity  and  order, 
has  never  seen  any  thing  in  its  full  light.  He  has  only  seen  shadows 
in  Plato's  cavern.  What  should  we  say  of  an  architect,  who  could  see 
no  difference  between  a  stately  palace,  whose  apartments  are  adjusted 
with  the  exactest  proportion,  so  as  to  make  one  uniform  structure  ; 
and  a  confused  heap  of  little  buildings,  which  do  not  compose  one  re- 
gular plan,  though  they  be  all  placed  together  ?  What  comparison  is 
there  between  the  Colisaeum,  and  a  confused  multitude  of  irregular 
houses  in  a  city  ?  There  can  be  no  true  unity  in  any  composure,  unless 
there  can  be  nothing  taken  from  it  without  spoiling  it.  It  never  has 
a  right  order,  but  when  we  cannot  displace  any  part  without  weaken- 
ing, obscuring,  and  disordering  the  whole.  This  is  what  Horace 
explains  perfectly  well. 

— Cui  lecta  potenter  erit  res 

Nee  facundia  deseret  huiic,  nee  lucidus  ordo. 

Ordinis  haec  virtus  erit,  et  Venus,  aut  eg^o  fallor 

Ut  jam  nunc  dicat,  jam  nunc  debentia  dici, 

Pleraque  differat,  et  praesens  in  tempus  omittat. 

De  Ar.  Poet. 

An  author  who  does  not  thus  methodize  his  discourse,  is  not  fully 
master  of  his  subject:  he  has  but  an  imperfect  taste,  and  a  low  geni- 
us. Order  indeed  is  an  excellence  we  seldom  meet  with  in  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  mind.  A  discourse  is  perfect  when  it  has  at  once 
method,  propriety,  strength,  and  vehemence.  But  in  order  to  this,  the 
orator  must  have  viewed,  examined,  and  comprehended  every  point, 
that  he  may  range  each  word   in  its  proper  place.*     This  is  what  an 

*  It  is  an  infallible  proof  of  the  want  of  just  integrity  in  every  writing,  from 
the  epopeia,  or  heroic  poem,  down  to  the  familiar  epistle,  or  slightest  essay  ei- 
ther in  Terse  or  prose,  if  every  several  part  or  portion  fits  not  its  proper  place  so 
exactly  that  the  least  transposition  would  be  impracticable. — If  there  be  any 
passage  in  the  middle,  or  end,  which  might  have  stood  in  the  beginning  ;  or  any 
in  the  beginning,  which  might  have  stood  as  well  in  the  middle,  or  end  ;  there 
is  properly  in  such  a  piece,  neither  beginning,  middle  nor  end  ;  it  is  a  mere 
rhapsody,  not  a  work.  And  the  more  it  assumes  the  air  or  appearance  of  a  re- 
al work,  the  more  ridiculous  it  becomes.     Characteristics ^  vol.  iii,  p.  259,  260. 


LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY.  123 

ignorant  declaimer,  who  is  guided  by  his  imagination,  can  never  dis- 
cern. 

Isocrates  is  smooth,  insinuating,  and  elegant ;  but  can  we  com- 
pare him  to  Homer?  I  will  go  farther;  and  am  not  afraid  to  say, 
that  T  think  Demosthenes  a  greater  orator  than  Cicero.*  I  protest 
there  is  no  man  admires  Cicero  more  than  I  do.  He  embellishes  ev- 
ery thing  he  handles.  He  is  an  honour  to  speech  :  and  makes  that 
happy  use  of  words  that  no  one  else  could.  He  has  a  vast  vari- 
ety of  wit.  He  is  even  concise  and  vehement  when  he  designs 
to  be  so  against  Cataline,  Verres,  Antony ;  but  we  may  perceive 
some  finery  in  his  discourses.  His  art  is  wonderful,  but  still 
we  discern  it.  While  he  is  concerned  for  the  safety  of  the  repub- 
lic, he  does  not  forget  that  he  is  an  orator  ;  nor  does  he  let  others 
forget  it.  Demosthenes  seems  transported,  and  to  have  nothing  in 
view  but  his  country.  He  does  not  study  what  is  beautiful,  but  natu- 
rally falls  into  it,  without  reflecting.  He  is  above  admiration.  He 
uses  speech,  as  a  modest  man  does  his  clothes,  only  to  cover  himself 
He  thunders,  he  lightens  ;  he  is  like  a  torrent  that  hurries  every 
thing  along  with  it.  We  cannot  criticise  him  ;  for  he  is  master  of  our 
passions.  We  consider  the  things  he  says,  and  not  his  words.  We 
lose  sight  of  him  :  we  think  of  Philip  only,  who  usurps  every  thing. 
I  am  charmed  with  these  two  orators ;  but  I  confess  that  Tully's  pro- 
digious art  and  magnificent  eloquence  affect  me  less  than  the  vehe- 
ment simplicity  of  Demosthenes.t 

Art|  lessens  and  exposes  itself,  when  it  is  too  open.  Thus  Longi- 
nus  says,  that  "  Isocrates  blundered  like  a  school  boy,  when  he  began 
one  of  his  panegyrics  in  this  manner  :" — '  Seeing  such  is  the  nature 
of  eloquence,  that  it  can  make  great  things  appear  little,  and  small 
things  to  seem  great ;  that  it  can  represent  the  oldest  things  as  new, 

*  Quorum  ego  virtutes  plerasque  arbitror  similes,  consilium,  ordinem  divi- 
dendi,  praeparandi,  probandi  rationem  ;  omnia  denique,  quae  sunt  inventionis. 
In  eloquendo  est  aliqua  diversitas ;  densior  ille,  (Demosthenes ;)  hie  (Cicero) 
copiosior  ;  ille  concludit  adstrictius ;  hie  latius  pugnat ;  ille  acumine  semper; 
hie  frequenter  et  pondere :  illi  nihil  detrahi  potest;  huic  nihil  adjici ;  curae 
plus  in  hoc  ;  iu  illo  naturae. — Cedendum  vero  in  hoc  quidem,  quod  ille  et  prior 
fuit,  et  ex  magna  parte  Ciceronem,  quantus  est,  fecit.  Nam  mihi  videtur  M. 
Tullius,  cum  se  totum  ad  imitationem  Graecorum  contulisset,  efRnxisse  vim 
Demoslhenis,  copiam  Platonis,  jucunditatem  Isocratis. — Quint,  lib.  x.  cap.  1. 

t  For  a  comparison  between  Cicero  and  Demosthenes,  the  reader  may  con- 
sult Rolmn's  Belles  Letters.,  vol.  ii.  eh.  3,  sect.  3. — Dr.  Bi.air's  Led.  vol. 
i. Mr.  Hume's  Essays,^  vol.  i.  Essay  l2. — Knox's  Essat/s,  vol.  i.  No.  44. 

■^  Sed  hoc  pati  non  possumus,  et  perire  artem  putamus,  nisi  appareat ;  cum 
desinat  ars  esse,  si  apparet.  Quint,  lib.  iv.  cap.  2. 


124  LETTER  TO  THE  FRENCH  ACADEMY. 

and  the  newest  as  old. — "  Is  it  thus,  O  Isocrates  ?  one  might  say, 
"  that  you  are  going  to  change  all  things  with  regard  to  the  Lace- 
demonians and  the  Athenians  ?  By  this  manner  of  praising  elo- 
quence, he  makes  a  preamble,  to  caution  his  hearers  against  believing 
any  thing  he  should  say."  In  effect,  it  was  to  declare  to  the  world, 
that  orators  are  only  sophists,  such  as  Plato's  Gorgias  was,  and  the 
other  declaimers  of  Greece ;  who  perverted  rhetoric  to  impose  on  the 
people. 

Since  eloquence  requires  that  an  orator  should  be  a  man  of  probi- 
ty, and  be  esteemed  such,  if  he  would  expect  success  in  the  most 
common  affairs  of  life;  how  much  greater  reason  have  we  to  believe 
this  saying  of  St.  Austin,  concerning  those  who  ought  to  speak  like 
apostles  ?  '  He  preaches  sublimely,  whose  life  is  irreproachable.'* 
What  good  can  we  expect  from  the  discourses  of  a  young  man  with- 
out solid  knowledge,  without  experience,  without  an  established  char- 
acter ;  who  makes  a  diversion  of  oratory  ;  and,  perhaps,  endeavours 
to  raise  his  fortune  by  that  ministry,  which  obliges  us  to  be  poor  with 
Jesus  Christ ;  to  bear  our  cross  with  him,  by  self  denial ;  and  to  com- 
mand men's  passions  in  order  to  convert  them  ? 

*  "  With  respect  to  preaching,  the  whole  of  it  depends  on  piety.  It  is  that 
•which  makes  you  seek  out  edifying  subjects,  and  confine  yourselves  to  such  as 
are  useful  and  necessary.  That  gives  force  and  unction  to  your  discourse,  and 
rnakes  you  say  affecting  things,  A  pious  man  understands  the  human  heart ; 
piety  is  the  source  of  true  eloquence,  which  is  natural,  simple,  and  sublime." 

Ostervalcfs  Led.  i. 


NOTE  A, 

REFERRED  TO  ON  PAGE    110. 

The  quaint  and  whimsical  exposition  of  the  scriptures,  often  introduc- 
ed into  sermons,  especially  when  a  metaphor  belongs  to  the  subject 
of  discourse,  is  so  inconsistent  with  the  proper  ends  of  preaching  ; 
that  it  seems  desirable  to  place  this  fault  in  a  distinct  light,  for  the 
admonition  of  those,  who  are  entering  tipon  the  duties  of  the  sacred 
office. 

The  following  pages  are  extracted  from  the  Christian  Observer,  as 
containing  a  detailed  specimen  of  this  defect,  which,  in  greater  or 
smaller  degrees  of  excess,  is  common  in  the  pulpit. 

A  FEW  days  ago  I  heard  a  sermon  preached  at  S church,  by  the 

Rev.  Mr.   B ,  from   Mark  i.   J7;  "And  Jesus    said    unto  them, 

Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men." 

Mr.  B observed  that  Jesus  Christ   used   to  teach  the   people 

spiritual  things,  by  means  of  sensible  and  familiar  objects.  In  the 
present  case  he  spoke  to  fishermen,  who  understood  well  what  fishing 
was :  he  therefore  represented  to  them  the  nature  of  the  Gospel  min- 
istry by  means  of  this  their  trade.  "  In  prosecution  of  this  idea,  I 
propose,"  said  the  preacher,  "  to  show  you  three  things :  First,  As 
the  fish  caught  by  these  fishermen  were  taken  out  of  the  sea,  so  I 
shall  show  you  what  is  that  sea,  out  of  which  those  spiritual  fish  spok- 
en of  by  Christ  are  taken  ;  secondly,  1  shall  show  the  manner  of  tak- 
ing them  ;  and  thirdly,  the  effects  of  their  being  so  taken.  For 
as  Christ  made  use  of  this  metaphor,  we  may  be  sure  that  the  met- 
aphor is  perfect,  and   that  it  must  be  a  suitable  one  in  all  its  parts. 

"  First,  then,  what  is  that  sea  out  of  which  the  spiritual  fish  are 
taken  ? — The  sea  is  unquestionably  the  world  ;  that  world,  I  mean, 
which  '  lieth  in  wickedness.'  To  prove  this,  let  us  mark  some  other 
passages  of  scripture. 

"I.  Does  not  the  scripture  say,  '  That  the  wicked  are  like  a 
troubled  sea ;'  yea,  that  they  are  like  a  sea  '  which  casteth  up 
mire  and  dirt  V  Again,  does  not  Job  speak  of  the  sea  as  containinor 
things  innumerable,  both  small  and  great  ? — and  there  is  that  great 
Leviathan,  which  hath  its  pastime  therein.  So  the  world  contains 
people  both  small  and  great,  high  and  low ;  people  various  and  innu- 
merable. In  another  striking  particular  does  the  wicked  world  re- 
semble the  sea.  In  the  sea,  the  fishes,  of  which  some  are  great  and 
some  are  small,  devour  one  another.  They  live  by  this  means  ;  for 
God  has  appointed  it.  And  in  this  wicked  world  what  a  confusion  is 
there  !  Confusion  in  families,  confusion  in  cities,  confusion  in  king- 
doms !  Turn  your  face  now  to  France,  turn  it  to  Italy — what  horrid 
wickedness  and   confusion  is  every  where  seen — how  does  one  man 


126 

or  one  party  devour  another !  At  one  tinne  the  king  of  France  is  put 
to  death  by  the  people  ;  then  the  people  are  overwhelmed  by  one  fac- 
tion, and  then  by  another,  and  so  it  is  ;  confusion  upon  confusion, 
factions   and   individuals  all  destroying  one  another. 

"  Again,  the  wicked  world  is  like  the  sea,  inasmuch  as  the  fishes 
in  the  sea,  like  the  wicked  men  in  the  world,  are  all  following  their 
own  natural  propensities,  and  have  no  taste  for  any  thing  else.  How 
do  the  youth  run  to  the  ball,  and  the  play,  and  the  card  table,  and 
place  all  their  delight  therein  !  They  have  no  taste  for  spiritual  pleas- 
ures— no  more  than  a  fish  has  for  any  pleasures  or  employments  out 
of  the  water. 

"  And  this  brings  me  to  the  second  thing,  which  is  to  shew  you 
what  is  the  manner  in  which  these  spiritual  fish  are  caught.  But  here, 
first,  I  would  observe,  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  unlawful  nets  ;  and 
so  in  the  Gospel  there  is  an  unlawful  net  which  some  fishermen 
throw;  I  mean  the  net  of  mere  morality.  Morality  never  did,  nor 
never  can  convert  one  poor  sinner  to  God.  From  the  creation  of  the 
world  to  the  present  hour,  it  never  converted  one  ;  and  why  ?  Because 
it  is  not  the  Gospel.  When  men  speak  of  the  stupendous  love  of 
Christ,  of  his  mercy  and  grace  to  sinners,  of  the  guilt  and  wretched- 
ness of  man,  and  of  a  free  salvation,  then  they  throw  the  Gospel-net, 
and  God  will  then  bless  his  word,  for  he  has  promised  that  such  fisher- 
men as  these  shall  never  labour  in  vain.  They  may  be  disappointed  tor  a 
time.  We  may  throw  our  net  on  one  Sunday  and  catch  no  fish,  and 
then  throw  it  again  on  another  Sunday;  but  on  one  day,  if  not  on 
another,  some  poor  soul  shall  be  converted  to  God  by  it.  It  is  true 
that  angling  is  another  way  of  catching  fish ;  on  which  I  must  say, 
that  they  who  preach  mere  morality,  are  like  fishermen  who  throw 
the  bait  into  the  water — a  pleasing  bait,  which  the  fish  are  very  eager 
after,  but  there  is  no  hook  to  it.  The  spiritual  fish  are  never  caught 
in  this  way. 

"  W'lat  then  is  the  way  in  which  these  spiritual  fish  are  caught? 
— And  first,  1  would  say,  that  they  are  taken  out  of  the  water,  and  no 
more  return  to  it.  And  so  is  the  matter  represented  in  Scripture, 
where  it  is  said,  that  God  hath  translated  us  into  the  kingdom  of  his 
dear  Son.  He  that  is  caught  in  the  Gospel-net  never  returns  to  the 
world.  He  experiences  a  total  change  in  conversion — as  great  a 
change  as  it  would  be  for  a  fish  to  be  taken  out  of  the  sea,  and  to 
have  the  nature  of  one  of  those  animals  given  him,  which  live  on  dry 
land  ;  for  this  would  be  a  miracle,  undoubtedly  ;  and  so  conversions 
are  miracles.  Each  individual  conversion  is  as  much  a  miracle  as 
that  would  be,  for  it  is  wrought  by  the  omnipotent  power  of  God. 
And  in  this  I  apprehend  consists  the  chief  beauty  of  the  present 
metaphor.  It  is  that  which  seems  to  have  been  particularly  intended 
by  it. 

"  Again,  when  fish  are  caught,  you  know  they  always  strive  to 
get  back  again,  though  they  cannot.  So  the  sinner,  when  caught  in 
the  Gospel-net,  struggles  hard  to  get  back  into  the  sea  ;  that  is,  into 
the  world  ;  but  the  omnipotent  power  of  God  keeps  him  out.     Say, 


127 

BOW,  you  that  have  been  drawn  out  of  the  world  by  the  grace  of  God, 
did  you  not  struggle  a  while  to  return  thither  again  I 

"  Again,  there  are  nets  of  various  sorts  and  sizes  used  in  fishing  ; 
and  so  the  Gospel-minister  has  various  subjects  by  which  he  endeav- 
ours to  draw  his  hearers — '  We  do  not  use  the  same  net  for  sprats 
that  we  do  for  salmon.'  Some  ministers  alarm  the  conscience  by  the 
terrors  of  the  Lord,  some  melt  and  draw  the  sinner  by  the  sweet  mer- 
cies of  the  Gospel,  &lc.  &lc.  I  have  often  admired  those  passages  in 
St.  Paul,  by  which  he  endeavoured  to  win  the  hearts  of  his  several 
hearers.  And  so  we  also  have  our  different  nets.  We  take  one  text 
on  one  day,  and  endeavour  to  catch  you  by  it.  and  we  take  another 
text  another  day  ;  and  we  handle  the  Gospel  sometimes  in  one  man- 
ner, and  sometimes  in  a  new  and  different  manner  ;  and  thus  it  is, 
that  different  souls  are  caught. 

"  And  now,  thirdly,  what  is  the  effector  consequence  of  catching 
these  spiritual  fish  ?  The  first  and  chief  consequence  I  would  name 
is,  that  as  a  fish  dies  when  taken  out  of  the  water,  so  are  they  dead 
to  the  things  in  which  they  once  lived.  Mark  now  that  passage  of  the 
Apostle,  "  For  ye  are  dead,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God." 
They  come  into  a  new  element ;  they  have  no  taste  for  the  pleasures 
of  that  element  in  which  alone  they  could  once  live.  What  is  the 
world's  element?  It  is  pleasure,  riches,  and  so  forth.  But  the  con- 
verted person  is  dead  to  these. — And  here  let  me  call  your  attention 
to  that  particular  passage  of  Scripture,  in  which  Peter  is  employed  in 
catching  a  fish,  in  whose  mouth  a  piece  of  money  was  found.  On 
this  there  is,  I  believe,  a  remark  made  by  an  old  expositor,  which  will 
be  of  use  to  us  in  the  present  case.  Peter  threw  in  his  hook  at  the 
command  of  Christ,  and  drew  up  the  fish;  and  behold  in  its  mouth 
was  a  piece  of  money  !  Now  this  money  in  the  fish's  mouth  may 
show  how  much  money  and  wealth  are  apt  to  be  in  the  mouth,  and 
also  in  the  heart,  of  the  unconverted  man,  till  the  fisherman  catches 
him  and  draws  him  out.  But  when  the  fish  is  drawn  out  of  the  water, 
then  he  drops  the  money  out  of  his  mouth ;  and  what  does  he  do  with 
it  ?  "  He  gives  it  to  Peter," — that  is  to  say,  he  commits  it  to  Peter, 
or  some  minister  or  steward  of  God,  to  be  employed  by  him  in  deeds 
of  mercy  and  loving-kindness  to  his  brethren. 

"  Again,  when  the  spiritual  fish  are  caught,  we  may  observe,  that 
their  next  business  is  to  catch  others  ;  '  when  thou  art  converted, 
strengthen  thy  brethren.'     One  becomes  a  bait  for  another,  &c. 

"And  now,  my  brethren,"  the  preacher  observed  in  conclusion, 
"  may  God  grant  that  some  of  you  may  be  converted  to  God  this 
night  ;  or  if  not  this  night,  may  you  at  least  be  caught  in  the  Gospel- 
net  before  the  awful  hour  of  death  shall  come.  Think  of  that  hour  ; 
how  dreadful  to  the  sinner  !  how  happy  to  the  saint !  We  set  before 
you  the  Gospel-promises.  If  it  were  not  for  these,  we  should  have  no 
hope  of  gaining  your  soul.  But  it  is  because  your  bodies  must  die 
and  moulder  in  the  grave  :  it  is  because  your  souls  must  live  forever  : 
it  is  because  heaven  is  so  glorious,  and  hell  so  dreadful,  that  we  so  ear- 
nestly address  you.  These  are  the  baits  by  which  we  would  allure 
you.     But  ye  must  be  born  again  :  ye  cannot  go  to  heaven  without 


128 

it.  An  unconverted  man,  if  he  was  in  heaven,  would  be  more  misera- 
ble than  if  he  was  in  the  lowest  hell ;  for  what  pleasure  would  there 
be  in  heaven  to  him  who  has  no  heart  to  pray,  to  attend  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel,  and  to  hear  the  precious  name  of  Christ  sounded 
forth  in  his  ears  ?" — He  ended  with  praying  that  what  had  now 
been  said  might  be  the  means  of  awakening  and  converting  some 
present,  and  that  Jesus  Christ  would  send  down  his  Spirit,  that  his 
name  might  be  glorified,  and  their  souls  everlastingly  saved. 

\n  justification  of  the  above  sermon,  it  will  probably  be  said  by 
the  favourers  of  this  mode  of  preaching,  and  it  may  in  part,  perhaps, 
be  said  with  truth — 

1.  That  though  faulty  in  some  particulars,  it  contains  much  "  Gos- 
pel-truth ;"  that  the  fundamental  points  of  Christianity,  viz.  the  fall 
and  total  corruption  of  man,  the  necessity  of  regeneration,  salvation 
by  free  grace,  and  faith  in  Christ  are  either  strongly  asserted  or  clear- 
ly implied ;  and  that  to  these,  whenever  clearly  preached,  though 
with  much  imperfection,  God  may  be  expected  to  give  his  blessing. 

2.  That  this  manner  of  preaching  is  also  popular,  being  likely  both 
to  draw  a  congregation  to  church,  and  also  to  fix  their  attention  when 
there,  which  is  a  great  point ;  most  ministers  finding  it  very  difficult 
to  gain  hearers,  while  this  preacher's  church  is  always  remarkably 
full. 

3.  It  will  also  perhaps  be  urged,  that  this  gentleman's  preaching 
has  been  found  useful ;  many  having  been  awakened  and  converted 
by  it,  and  that  the  test  of  good  and  bad  preaching  is,  generally  speak- 
ing, the  effect. 

In  palliation  of  the  faults  of  it,  it  will  probably  be  said — 

1.  That  the  preacher  is  a  man  of  a  lively,  and  perhaps  too  fanci- 
ful turn  of  mind;  that  all  men  have  their  particularities  ;  and  that  too 
strict  criticism  must  not  be  applied  to  the  sermons  of  every  lively 
preacher  ;  for  whose  sermons  will  bear  this? 

2.  That  although  some  texts  of  Scripture  were  strained  by  the 
preacher,  and  many  inferences  from  the  text  pushed  beyond  our  Sa- 
viour's intention,  yet  that  every  material  thing  stated  in  the  course  of 
the  sermon  was  true,  and  proveable  from  other  texts  of  Scripture,  if 
not  from  his  own  text. 

3.  That  many  other  good  men   besides  Mr.  B ,  fall   into  the 

same  way  of  too  much  spiritualizing  a  plain  text,-  that,  in  particular, 
many  a  good  old  Puritan  used  to  do  so  ;  and  that  the  part  of  his  ser- 
mon most  liable  to  the  objection  of  a  critic  seems  to  have  been  bor- 
rowed from  some  old  Puritan,  or  commentator  of  Scripture,  who  par- 
took largely  of  this  fault. 

Having  thus  stated  what  may  be  said  in  favour  of  this  mode  of 
preaching,  it  will  now  be  well  to  consider  what  are  the  objections  to 
it. 

1.  And,  first,  the  use  made  of  the  words  of  the  text  (which  were 
words  spoken  by  our  Saviour  himself)  is  clearly  not  the  use  tchich  our 
Saviour  intended  that  we  should  make  of  them.  The  truth  of  this  ob- 
jection it  seems  hardly  necessary  to  prove  ;  for  who  can  believe  that 


129 

our  Saviour,  in  merely  saying  to  these  fishermen,  "  Come  after  me, 
and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men,"  meant  also  to  teach  us  that  the 
world  was  like  the  sea,  and  also  that  it  was  like  the  sea  because  both 
fishes  and  men  are  in  the  habit  of  devouring  one  another,  &c.  &.c.  &,c. 
The  manner,  indeed,  in  which  Mr.  B attempts  to  establish  the  re- 
semblance, is  a  clear  proof  how  ridiculous  is  the  attempt.  He  quotes 
the  following  text :  "  The  wicked  are  like  the  troubled  sea,  the  waves 
whereof  cast  up  mire  and  dirt  :"  that  is  to  say,  wicked  men  are  like 
the  troubled  sea  ;  but  what  he  had  asserted  was,  that  the  world  or  place 
in  which  wicked  men  live  was  like  the  sea,  not  that  wicked  men  them- 
selves were.  The  wicked  men  themselves  he  had  compared  to  fishes. 
Thus  the  introduction  of  the  text  from  Isaiah  only  increases  the  con- 
fusion, not  to  mention  how  ridiculous  it  would  be  to  suppose  a  con- 
nexion between  this  passage  of  Isaiah  and  our  Saviour's  words  in  the 
text,  even  if  they  accorded.  He  next  says :  'The  sea  is  like  the  world, 
because,  as  there  are  fishes  of  many  sizes  in  the  sea,  so  there  are  men 
of  many  degrees  in  the  world.'  Equally,  therefore,  might  it  be  said  that 
the  world  is  like  the  air  because  there  are  in  it  birds  of  many  sizes  ; 
or  like,  in  short,  almost  every  thing  in  nature  which  consists  of  many 
parts  ;  for  what  is  there  of  vfhich  the  many  parts  are  not  of  many  sizes  ? 

The  error  as  to  the  present  point  seems  to   be   this  :  Mr.  B 

says,  that  "  the  words  of  Christ  in  the  text  are  a  metaphor,"  and  that 
"  we  may  be  sure  that  every  metaphor  used  by  Christ  must  be  perfect 
and  complete  in  all  its  parts."  To  which  it  is  answered,  that  every 
metaphor  is  perfect  and  complete,  if  it  perfectly  and  completely  an- 
swers the  purpose  of  giving  the  one  simple  impression  intended  by 
it. 

"  Alexander  was  a  lion,"  is  a  metaphor  which  has  been  often 
used  ;  and  this  is  the  common  instance  of  a  metaphor  which  is  given 
in  the  most  simple  books  on  that  subject.  Does  it  then  follow  that 
they  who  have  used  that  metaphor,  have  intended  to  say  that  Alexan- 
der was  like  a  lion  in  any  thing  else  than  in  his  fierceness  and  his 
courage  1  Is  the  metaphor  imperfect  unless  Alexander  can  be  also 
shown,  in  some  ingenious  way  or  other,  to  have  four  legs  like  a  lion, 
and  a  long  and  flowing  mane  1  So  likewise  it  is  not  to  be  supposed, 
that  because  our  Saviour  by  a  metaphor  called  ministers  fishers  of 
men,  he  intended  therefore  that  we  should  find  out  a  resemblance  be- 
tween the  world  and  the  sea,  between  the  act  of  drawing  a  fish  out  of 
the  sea  and  the  act  of  converting  a  sinner,  and  between  the  effects 
which  follow  after  catching  a  fish,  and  the  effects  which  follow  after 
converting  a  man.  To  attempt  such  a  resemblance  is  not  ingenious  ; 
it  is  ridiculous ;  and  it  tends,  therefore,  to  render  the  gospel  ridicu- 
lous. 

Our  Saviour  was  sober  and  serious,  and  not  playful,  when  he  used 
the  expression  in  the  text :  he  meant  to  speak  seriously,  and  only  gen- 
erally and  briefly,  of  the  future  occupation  of  the  fishermen  whom  he 
was  then  calling  to  the  ministry,  and  he  did  not  advert  at  all  to  the 
multitude  of  little  circumstances  which  belong  to  fishing  or  belong  tPj 

the  Gospel  ministry  ;  but  Mr.  B has  run  a  long  parallel   betweeui 

fishing  and  preaching,  &:-c.  &.C.,  and  he  has  therefore  done  that  which 

17 


130 

was  never  intended  by  Christ.  And  thus,  while  he  has  amused  his 
hearers,  he  has  sacrificed  their  edification  ;  for  perhaps  hardly  any 
thing  is  more  hostile  to  edification  than  the  little  wit  and  humour  and 
petty  conceit  of  the  pulpit. 

He  that  negotiates  between  God  and  man, 

As  God's  ambassador,  the  grand  concerns 

Of  judgement  and  of  mercy,  should  beware 

Of  lightness  in  his  speech.     'Tis  pitiful 

To  court  a  grin  when  you  should  woo  a  soul ; 

To  break  ajest.  when  pity  would  inspire 

Pathetic  exhortation  ;  and  t'  address 

The  skittish  fancy  with  facetious  tales. 

When  sent  with  God's  commission  to  the  heart ! 

2.  Let  us  consider,  a  little  more  closely,  some  of  the  serious 
mischiefs  ivhich  result  from  this  as  well  as  from  every  other  false  and 
corrupt  morle  of  treating  Scripture. — For  the  preacher  to  give  to  the 
people,  in  any  respect,  a  false  idea  of  the  things  intended  by  God  to 
be  taught  by  a  text,  is  certainly  a  serious  evil.  The  Scriptures  are 
Scriptures  of  truth  :  they  should  be  reverenced  as  conveying  truth. 
A  truly  serious  mind  is  athirst  to  search  out  those  truths  they  contain, 
and  is  anxious  to  have  no  human  alterations  or  additions  made  to 
them.  Such  a  one  wishes  to  have  a  text  of  Scripture  explained,  ap- 
plied to  his  conscience,  and  accommodated  to  present  circumstances 
and  present  times,  by  fair  and  simple  inference  ;  but  he  wishes  not  to 
have  any  new,  conceited,  entertaining,  or  surprising  meaning  given  to 
it :  he  desires  only  to  have  the  pure  word  of  God. 

This  anxiety  to  know  the  truth,  which  must  be  the  characteristic 
of  every  serious  mind,  will  be  accompanied  with  much  jealousy  on  the 
subject.     Such  a  person  will   be   afraid  of  being  seduced  out  of  the 
plain  path  of  Scripture,  in  order  to  gather  flowers:  he  will  keep  close 
to  Scripture  in   every   respect.     He  will  not   be   satisfied,   therefore, 
with  that  apology  for  misinterpreting   a  text  which   is   so  common ; 
namely,  that  though  the  text   is   misinterpreted,    yet   there  might  be 
found  other  texts  which  would  prove  the  point  that   is   assumed.     He 
reflects  that  this  is  an  unsafe  way  of  proceeding  for  one  whose  eternal 
interests  are  at  stake  ;  that  a  false  interpreter  of  one  text  is    but  too 
likely  to  be  a  false  interpreter  of  another  ;  that  interpretations  must  be 
watched  in  each  case  ;  and  that  one  false  interpretation  is  apt,  in  many 
instances,  almost  necessarily  to  beget  another.    Moreover,  he  considers 
that  there  are  some  false  interpretations  which  indicate  a  false  system 
of  interpretation  ;  such  for  instance,  as  the  present ;  for  the  same  person 
who  thinks  he  must,  by  his  ingenuity,  discover   certain   coincidences 
in  treatino-  the   present    metaphor,   which   coincidences  our    Saviour 
never  intended,  will  be  likely  to  exercise  a  like  sort  of  mischievous  in- 
frenuity  in  explaining  every  other  metaphor  and  parable,  and  possibly, 
almost  every  other  passage  in  Scripture  which  he  may  chance  to  han- 
dle.    Nay,  there  is  great  danger  lest  he  should   choose  those   texts  to 
preach  upon,  the  false  and  conceited  interpretations  of  which  he  may 
fltid  it  most  easy  to  deal  in,  without  being  detected  by  his  hearers. 


131 

When  this  is  the  case,  it  will  be  the  dark,  the  doubtful,  and  difficult 
texts,  that  will  be  chiefly  presented  to  a  congregation  ;  and  the  plain- 
est, which  are  the  most  important,  will  be  neglected,  as  not  affording 
scope  for  the  ingenuity  of  the  orator.  How  awful  a  case  is  this  !  How 
awful  for  the  hearers  on  the  one  hand  !  How  awful  also  for  the  preach- 
er !  The  guilt  of  such  a  conduct  in  one,  who  is  a  steward  of  the 
mysteries  of  God,  and  who  is  required  to  be  found  faithful,  and  espe- 
cially in  one  who  professes  to  preach  not  himself  but  Christ  Jesus  the 
Lord,  is  what  I  will  not  attempt  to  estimate.  It  can  only  be  estimat- 
ed on  the  great  judgement  day.  Every  indulgence  of  a  conceited 
taste,  leads,  hoicever,  this  loay ;  and  this  taste  is  one  of  the  great  cor- 
rupters of  the  oracles  of  God.  Again — when  this  habit  of  false  in- 
terpretation takes  place,  who  shall  say  that  the  orthodoxy  of  the  preach- 
er is  a  sufficient  security  to  his  hearers  ;  for  does  not  orthodoxy,  in 
in  its  enlarged  and  most  proper  sense,  consist  in  thinking  rightly  as 
to  all  the  several  parts  of  Scripture,  as  to  practice  as  well  as  faith  ; 
and  even  if  the  faith  in  a  few  great  doctrines  continues  right,  yet  does 
not  the  liberty  which  men  take  with  texts,  give  great  opportunity  of 
destroying  the  due  proportion  and  the  just  symmetry  of  Scripture  ? 
May  not  a  favourite  tenet  be  magnified  beyond  all  bounds  ?  May  not 
apostles  and  prophets  be  represented,  by  means  of  this  ingenuity,  as 
ever  dwelling  on  the  same  point  as  the  preacher  1  May  not  one  class 
of  texts  be  multiplied,  and  another  class  of  texts  diminished,  just  as 
much  as  if  erasures  and  interpolations  of  Scripture  were  to  take  place  ? 
And  is  not  a  wo  pronounced  on  the  man  who  shall  either  add  to,  or 
take  away  from,  the  words  of  that  book  ? 

Again;  if  one  man  may  interpret  falsely  for  one  purpose,  why 
may  not  another  man  claim  the  same  right  for  another  ?  How  is 
Scripture  thus  rendered  a  book  of  a  thousand  different  and  contrary 
meanings  ;  and  how  may  every  point  of  orthodoxy  be  thus  successful- 
ly attacked  or  undermined,  by  those  who  use  only  the  same  false  sys- 
tem of  interpretation  in  attacking  it,  which  others  use  in  defending 
it  1  How  may  error  be  thus  promoted  on  every  side  !  How  may  al 
so  differences  of  opinion  be  multiplied,  and  christian  charity  and  unity 
destroyed  !  How  may  the  several  and  contradictory  whims  of  men 
become  all  sanctioned  by  its  being  pretended  of  them  all,  that  they 
make  a  part  of  the  word  of  God  !  All  this,  I  say,  may  be  done,  by 
that  free  and  general  use  of  misapplied  ingenuity  and  conceit,  of 
which  this  sermon,  throughout  the  chief  parts  of  it,  affords  a  license 
and  an  example. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  point  in  what  is  commonly  called  orthodoxy, 
which  it  is  more  necessary  to  guard,  than  our  general  system  and  hab- 
it of  interpreting  scripture.  A  preacher,  whose  general  rules  and 
habits  of  interpreting  Scripture  are  false  and  incorrect,  insensibly,  but 
most  effectually  communicates  to  his  hearers  the  same  habits  which 
he  has  unhappily  adopted.  The  hearer  learns  to  misinterpret  his  own 
bible  at  home,  to  make  it  bend  to  his  own  prejudices,  extravagances, 
and  errors,  and  perhaps  learns  to  look  into  it  for  little  else  than  rid- 
dles and  conceits,  and  not  for  plain  and  sober  directions  how  he  may 
walk  so  as  to  please  God. 


132 

3.  Another  evil  arising  from  a  preacher's  using  this  false  ingenu- 
ity in  treating  texts  of  Scripture  is,  the  disadvunfage  under  which  it 
places  those  more  upright  and  more  faithful  ministers,  tohose  conscien- 
ces will  not  allow  them  to  resort  to  the  same  art  of  pleasing  a  congre- 
gation. — The  true  minister  of  the  Gospel  is  undervalued  ;  his  expla- 
nations of  Scripture  seem  flat  and  insipid  ;  his  spiritual  knowledge 
and  penetration  into  Scripture  are  thought  inferior  ;  his  character  is 
discredited  ;  perhaps  it  is  doubted  whether  he  is  a  true  minister  of 
the  Gospel  ;  his  church  is  thinned;  in  the  mean  time,  the  man  of 
mere  conceit  is  followed  and  is  extolled  for  his  spiritual  light. 

4.  But  the  great  evil  of  all  is,  the  mischief  done  to  the  souls  of  the 
persons  who  crowd  to  hear  those  entertaining  harangues,  which  consist 
of  sparkling  conceits  and  misinterpretations  of  Scripture. — There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  hearers  mistake  the  pleasure  they  feel  in  partak- 
ing of  the  entertainment,  for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  the  Gospel.  Man 
is  a  being  extremely  liable  to  be  deceived  by  false  associations  of 
things.  Is  there  a  sermon  preached  which  is  half  fanciful  and  ludi- 
crous, and  half  evangelical  and  just  ?  Hearers  will  flock  to  it  for 
the  sake  of  the  fanciful  part;  will  confound  the  whole  together  in 
their  minds  :  and  though  in  truth,  they  are  only  or  chiefly  entertain- 
ed by  the  many  fanciful  passages,  they  will  confidently  think  that  it  is 
the  evangelical  part  of  the  sermon  which  pleases  them.  It  is  thus 
that  multitudes  deceive  their  own  souls;  "  for  the  heart  of  man  is  de- 
ceitful above  all  things,  as  well  as  desperately  wicked."  It  seems  to 
have  been  for  this  reason  that  Paul  abstained  from  all  meretricious 
ornaments,  when  he  preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  He  was  afraid 
lest  his  hearers,  if  he  mixed  his  own  fancifulness,  or  his  own  studied 
and  affected  oratory,  with  the  pure  word  which  he  delivered,  should 
follow  him  for  the  sake  of  this,  and  not  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel. 
"  I  determined,"  therefore,  said  he,  "  not  to  know  any  thing  among 
you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified,  and  my  speech  and  my 
preaching  were  not  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom  ;"  "  for  do 
I  now  please  man,  or  God  ?" 

It  is  material  to  apply  this  observation  still  more  particularly  to 
the  present  sermon.  There  is  in  it,  undoubtedly,  an  occasional  men- 
tion (and  in  a  plain  manner)  of  some  leading  truths  of  the  Gospel  : 
and  yet,  if  the  manner  of  mentioning  these  is  well  considered;  if  the 
probable  character  of  the  audience  is  taken  into  contemplation  ;  and 
if,  likewise,  the  general  drift  of  the  sermon  is  weighed,  it  may  then 
possibly  be  found  that  even  those  Gospel  truths,  stated  as  they  were, 
and  under  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  were  likely  not  only  to 
be  inefficient,  but  perhaps  even  worse  than  inefficient,  in  respect  to 
no  small  part  of  the  congregation. 

The  Gospel  truths  chiefly  asserted  were  the  total  corruption  of 
man,  the  necessity  of  conversion,  of  faith,  and  of  the  love  of  Christ, 
as  well  as  the  inefllcacy  of  preaching  morality  ; — all  points  of  infinite 
importance,  but  which  need  to  be  taught,  not  by  being  briefly  named 
only,  or  violently  asserted,  but  by  being  fully  and  clearly  explained, 
botli  as  to  their  nature  and  eff'ects. 

Now  it  may  be   observed,   that   the   common    people,  (of  whom  a 


133 

large  part  of  this  congregation  consisted,)  generally  like  strong 
doctrine,  and  seldom  take  offence  at  its  strength.  We  mean,  that 
even  they  whose  lives  evince  that  they  are  not  the  better  for  it, 
seldom  quarrel  with  the  doctrine,  if  they  are  people  of  the  lower 
class.  The  reasons  of  this  are  several : — One  is,  that  the  lower 
people  are  credulous,  and  apt  to  take  upon  trust  any  doctrine  that 
is  vehemently  preached.  Another  is,  that  the  common  people  re- 
flect and  reason  little,  and  do  not  therefore  easily  perceive  the  ho- 
liness of  life  and  practice  to  which  the  doctrine  hinds  them,  nor  even 
the  manner  in  which  a  doctrine  condemns  themselves.  A  further 
reason  of  their  loving  strong  doctrine  is,  that  they  love  to  be  some- 
what roughly  dealt  with,  and  to  be,  even  in  any  way,  strongly  and  ve- 
hemently impressed.  The  brief  mention  of  two  or  three  strong  doc- 
trines to  an  unlettered  audience,  is  therefore  both  a  means  of  being 
popular  among  them,  and,  if  this  brief  and  strong  mention  of  it  be  all, 
is  a  means  of  doing  but  little  good.  In  the  present  case,  there  is  rea- 
son to  fear,  that  the  good  and  sound  doctrine,  for  such  there  certain- 
ly is  in  it,  may  have  been  given  only  in  such  manner  and  quantity, 
as  even  to  promote  in  many  persons  the  self-delusion  so  much  to  be 
dreaded  ;  for,  in  order  successfully  to  introduce  into  any  mixed  con- 
gregation delusion  and  error,  there  must  always  be  some    mixture  of 

truths.     Had  Mr.  B 's  sermon  consisted  of  nothing  else  than  an 

uninterrupted  succession  of  mere  conceits,  Cew,  or  none,  probably 
would  have  been  misled  by  it ;  but  the  good  Gospel  sayings  in  it 
would  make  it  pass. 

It  will,  however,  probably  be   replied  to  all  that  has  been  said,  that 

such  preaching  as  that  of  Mr.  B has,  in  point   of  fact^  been  found 

very  useful,  very  many  persons  having  been  converted  by  it.  To  this 
1  answer,  that  it  would  not  be  enough  to  say  that  many  had  been  con- 
verted by  him ;  for  the  very  point,  which  I  have  been  labouring  to 
prove,  is,  that  the  word  Cunversion,  unless  the  clear  nature  of  the 
thing  be  fully  and  at  large  explained,  is  a  word  extremely  vague 
and  delusive.  Before  we  can  admit  the  force  of  the  observation,  it 
must  be  therefore  shown  in  deiaW  from  what  and  to  what,  he  has  con- 
verted so  many  people.  The  fair  presumption  certainly  is,  that  he 
has  converted  them  to  just  his  own  way  of  interpreting  Scripture,  and 
to  all  his  own  tenets  as  far  as  they  appear  in  his  sermons.  The  mere 
circumstance  of  an  effect  being  produced,  is  not  to  be  allowed  to  be 
in  itself  material.  The  Pharisees  of  old  produced  an  effect  by  their 
preaching  ;  for  it  is  observed  in  Scripture,  that  they  made  proselytes; 
but  then  the  misfortune  was,  that  their  proselytes  were  ten  times  more 
tlie  children  of  hell  than  before.  The  Socinians  of  this  day  make 
converts;  but  unhappily  it  is  converts  to  Socinianism.  Mr.  Hunting- 
ton has  made  many  converts,  but  they  are  many  of  them  converts  to 
every  tittle  of  his  own  extravagant  and  antinomian  opinions.  It  is  of 
the  nature  of  every  seed  to  produce  after  its  own  kind.  To  assume 
that  because  a  man's  preaching  makes  converts  to  his  own  oj)inions,  it 
is  a  conclusive  proof  of  the  goodness  of  the  preacher,  is  therefore  to 
beg  the  whole  question.  The  probability  in  this  ca.se  is,  that  since 
the  hearers  of  Mr.  B occasionally  hear  other  preachers,  the  effect 


134 

produced  is  the  joint  effect  of  the  whole  of  the  preaching  which  they 

hear.     What  may  be  defective  in  Mr.  B 's  preaching,  may  partly 

be  supplied  by  others,  and  the  full  evil  of  his  system  may  for  that  rea- 
son not  appear. 

I  might  also  have  dwelt  on  the  subject  of  the  false  taste  and  con- 
ceit of  certain  parts  of  this  sermon,  and  particularly  of  one  part  of  it, 
which  seems  to  have  been  a  quotation.  Such  ludicrous  expositions 
of  Scripture  are  well  known  to  have  marked  the  character  of  those 
persons  who,  in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  most  shamefully  disgraced  the 
profession  of  religion  :  and  are  not  unlikely  to  be  considered  by  re- 
flecting men  as  symptoms  of  a  similar  tendency  among  the  zealous  re- 
ligionists of  the  present  day.  We  have  chosen,  however,  to  attack  this 
sermon  chiefly  in  what  appeared  to  be  most  fundamental,  namely,  on 
account  of  the  ineffectual  way  in  which  Gospel  doctrine  is  taught  in  it ; 
on  account  of  the  room  for  self-flattery,  which  it  affords  to  the  bulk  of 
hearers;  and  also  on  account  of  the  unfair  and  unwarrantable  mode  in 
which  the  preacher  attempts  to  catch  attention,  by  a  false  system  of  in- 
terpreting Scripture.  To  borrow  his  own  phrase,  may  it  not  be  even 
questioned  whether  he  himself,  in  this  instance,  may  not  be  one  of 
those  persons,  who  have  been  fishing  with  an  unlawful  net,  and  cast- 
ing among  his  hearers  an  agreeable  bait,  which,  however,  may  have 
had  no  hook  attached  to  it  ? 


CLAUDE'S  ESSAY 


COMPOSITION  or  A  SERMON. 


ESSAY,  &c. 
CHAP.  I. 

ON  THE  CHOICE  OF  TEXTS. 

T^ERE  are  in  general  five  parts  of  a  sermon,  the  exordium,  the 
connexion,  the  division,  the  discussion,  and  the  application  :  but,  as 
connexion  and  division  are  parts  which  ought  to  be  extremely  short, 
we  can  properly  reckon  only  three  parts  ;  exordium,  discussion,  and 
application.  However,  we  will  just  take  notice  of  connexion  and  di- 
vision, after  we  have  spoken  a  little  on  the  choice  of  texts,  and  on  a 
few  general  rules  of  discussing  them.* 

1.  Never  choose  such  texts  as  have  not  a  complete  sense;  for  only 
impertinent  and  foolish  people  will  attempt  to  preach  from  one  or  two 
words,  which  signify  nothing. 

2.  Not  only  words,  which  have  a  complete  sense  of  themselves, 
must  be  taken,  but  they  must  also  include  the  complete  sense  of  the 
writer,  whose  words  they  are  ;  for  it  is  his  language,  and  they  are  his 
sentiments,  which  you  explain.  For  example,  should  you  take  these 
words  of  2  Cor.  i.  3.  Blessed  be  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Father  of  mercies  and  the  God  of  all  comfort,  and  stop 
here,  you  would  conclude  a  complete  sense ;  but  it  would  not  be  the 
apostle's  sense.     Should  you  go  farther,  and  add,  tcho  comforteth  us 

*  Bishop  Wilkin  says,  "  Preaching  should  have  its  rules  and  canons,  where- 
by men  may  be  directed  to  the  easiest  and  readiest  way  for  the  practice  of  it. 
Besides  all  academical  studies  of  languages,  sciences,  divinity,  &c.,  besides  all 
these,  there  is  a  particular  art  of  preaching.  Two  abilities  are  requisite  in 
every  one  ;  a  right  understanding  of  sound  doctrine,  and  an  ability  to  pro- 
pound, confirm,  and  apply  it  to  others.  The  first  may  be  without  the  other  ; 
and  as  a  man  may  be  a  good  lawyer .,  and  yet  not  a  good  pleader  ;  so  he  may  be  a 
good  divine.^  and  yet  not  a  good  preacher.  One  reason  why  men  of  eminent  parts 
are  so  slow  and  unskilful  herein,  is,  that  they  have  not  been  versed  in  this 
stud}',  and  are  therefore  unacquainted  with  those  proper  rules  and  directions 
by  which  they  should  be  guided  in  the  attaining  and  exercise  of  this  gift.  It 
hath  been  the  usual  course  at  the  university,  to  venture  upon  this  calling  ia 
an  abrupt,  overhasty  manner.  When  scholars  have  passed  over  their  philo- 
sophical studies,  and  made  some  little  entrance  on  divinity,  they  presently 
think  themselves  fit  for  the  pulpit,  without  any  farther  inquiry,  as  if  the  gift  of 
preaching,  and  sacred  oratory,  was  not  a  distinct  art  of  itself.  This  would  be 
counted  very  preposterofis  in  other  matters,  if  a  man  should  presume  on  being 
an  orator  because  he  was  a  logician,  or  to  practise  physic  because  he  had 
learned  philosophy,"  &c.  Wilkin''s  Ecclesiantes, 

18 


138  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

in  all  our  tribulation,  it  would  not  then  be  the  complete  sense  of  St. 
Paul,  nor  would  his  meaning  be  wholly  taken  in,  unless  you  went  on 
to  the  end  of  the  fourth  verse.  When  the  complete  sense  of  the  sa- 
cred writer  is  taken,  you  may  stop  ;  for  there  are  few  texts  in  scrip- 
ture, which  do  not  afford  matter  sufficient  for  a  sermon  ;  and  it  is 
equally  inconvenient  to  take  too  much  text,  or  too  little  ;  both  ex- 
tremes must  be  avoided. 

When  too  little  text  is  taken,  you  must  digress  from  the  subject 
to  find  something  to  say;  flourishes  of  wit  and  imagination  must  be 
displayed,  which  are  not  of  the  genius  of  the  pulpit ;  and,  in  one 
word,  it  will  make  the  hearers  think,  that  self  is  more  preached  than 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  that  the  preacher  aims  rather  at  appearing  a  wit, 
than  at  instructing  and  edifying  his  people. 

When  too  much  text  is  taken,  either  many  important  considera- 
tions, which  belong  to  the  passage,  must  be  left  out,  or  a  tedious  pro- 
lixity must  follow.  A  proper  measure,  therefore,  must  be  chosen,  and 
neitlier  too  little,  nor  too  much  matter  taken.  Some  say,  preaching 
is  designed  only  to  make  scripture  understood,  and  therefore  they 
take  a  great  deal  of  text,  and  are  content  with  giving  the  sense,  and 
with  making  some  principal  reflections  :  but  this  is  a  mistake  ;  for 
preaching  is  not  only  intended  to  give  the  sense  of  scripture,  but  also 
of  theology  in  general;  and,  in  short,  to  explain  the  whole  of  religion, 
which  cannot  be  done,  if  too  much  matter  be  taken  ;  so  that,  I  think, 
the  manner  commonly  used  in  our  churches  is  the  most  reasonable, 
and  the  most  conformable  to  the  end  of  preaching.  Every  body  can 
read  scripture  with  notes  and  comments  to  obtain  simply  the  sense; 
but  we  cannot  instruct,  solve  difficulties,  unfold  mysteries,  penetrate 
into  the  ways  of  divine  wisdom,  establish  truth,  refute  error,  comfort, 
correct,  and  censure,  fill  the  hearers  with  an  admiration  of  the  won- 
derful works  and  ways  of  God,  inflame  their  souls  with  zeal,  power- 
fully incline  them  to  piety  and  holiness,  which  are  the  ends  of  preach- 
ing, unless  we  go  farther  than  barely  enabling  them  to  understand 
scripture. 

3.  To  be  more  particular ;  regard  must  be  paid  to  circumstances, 
times,  places  and  persons,  and  texts  must  be  chosen  relative  to  them. 
Times  are  ordinary  or  cociraordinary.  Ordinary  times  are  Lord's 
supper  days,  new  year's  day,  &c.  On  these  days  particular  texts 
should  be  chosen,  which  suit  the  service  of  the  day  ;  for  it  would  dis- 
cover great  negligence  to  take  texts  on  such  days,  which  have  no  re- 
lation to  them.  It  is  not  to  be  questioned  but  on  these  days  peculiar 
efforts  ought  to  be  made,  because  then  the  hearers  come  with  raised 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  139 

expectations,  which,  if  not  satisfied,  turn  into  contempt,  and  a  kind  of 
indignation  against  the  preacher. 

Particular  days  not  fixed,  but  occasional,  are  fast  days,  ordination 
days,  days  on  which  the  flock  must  be  extraordinarily  comforted,  ei- 
ther on  account  of  the  falling  out  of  some  great  scandal,  the  exercise 
of  some  great  affliction,  or  the  inflicting  of  some  great  censure.  On 
fast  days,  it  is  plain,  particular  texts  must  be  expressly  chosen,  for  the 
purpose  ;  but  on  other  occasions  it  must  rest  on  the  preacher's  judge- 
ment ;  for  most  texts  may  be  used  extraordinarily,  to  comfort,  exhort, 
or  censure  ;  and,  except  the  subject  in  hand  be  extremely  important, 
the  safest  way  is  not  to  change  the  usual  text.  For  ordination  days 
extraordinary  texts  and  agreeable  to  the  subject  in  hand  must  be  tak- 
en, whether  it  regards  the  ordainer,  or  the  ordained  ;  for  very  often 
he,  who  is  ordained  in  the  morning,  preaches  in  the  afternoon. 

I  add  one  word  touching  sermons  in  strange  churches.  1.  Do 
not  choose  a  text  lohich  appears  odd,  or  the  choice  of  which  vanity 
may  be  supposed  to  dictate.  2.  Do  not  choose  a  text  of  censure ;  for 
a  stranger  has  no  business  to  censure  a  congregation,  which  he  does 
not  inspect;  unless  he  have  a  particular  call  to  it,  being  either  sent 
by  a  synod,  or  intreated  by  the  church  itself.  In  such  a  case  the  cen- 
sure must  be  conducted  with  wisdom,  and  tempered  with  sweetness. 
Nor  3.  Choose  a  text  leading  to  curious,  knotty  questions ;  then  it 
would  be  said,  the  man  meant  to  preach  himself.  But  4.  Choose  a 
text  of  ordinary  doctrine,  in  discussing  which,  doctrine  and  morality 
may  be  mixed,  and  rather  let  moral  things  be  said  by  way  of  exhor- 
tation and  consolation  than  by  way  of  censure  ;  not  that  the  vicious 
should  not  be  censured  ;  for  reproof  is  essential  to  preaching  ;  but  it 
must  be  given  soberly,  and  in  general  terms,  when  we  are  not  with 
our  own  flocks. 


CHAP.  II. 

GENERAL  RULES  OF  SERMONS. 


Although  the  following  general  rules  are  well  known,  yet  they 
»re  too  little  practised  :  they  ought,  however,  to  be  constantly  regard- 
ed. 

1.  A  sermon  should  clearly  and  purely  explain  a  text,  mdke  \he 
sense  easy  to  be  comprehended,  and  place  things  before  the  people's 


140 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 


eyes,  so  that  they  may  be  understood  without  difficulty.  This  rule 
condemns  embarrassment  and  obscurity,  the  most  disagreeable  thing 
in  the  world  in  a  gospel  pulpit.  It  ought  to  be  remembered,  that  the 
greatest  part  of  the  hearers  are  simple  people,  whose  profit,  however, 
must  be  aimed  at  in  preaching  :  but  it  is  impossible  to  edify  them,  un- 
less you  be  very  clear.  As  to  learned  hearers,  it  is  certain,  they  will 
always  prefer  a  clear  before  an  obscure  sermon  ;  for,  first,  they  will 
consider  the  simple,  nor  will  their  benevolence  be  content  if  the  illit- 
erate be  not  edified  ;  and  next,  they  will  be  loth  to  be  driven  to  the 
necessity  of  giving  too  great  an  attention,  which  they  cannot  avoid,  if 
the  preacher  be  obscure.  The  minds  of  men,  whether  learned  or  ig- 
norant, generally  avoid  pain  ;  and  the  learned  have  fatigue  enough  in 
the  study,  without  increasing  it  at  church. 

2.  A  sermon  must  give  the  entire  sense  of  the  whole  text,  in  order 
to  which  it  must  be  considered  in  every  view.  This  rule  condemns 
dry  and  barren  explications,  wherein  the  preacher  discovers  neither 
study  nor  invention,  and  leaves  unsaid  a  great  number  of  beautiful 
things,  with  which  his  text  would  have  furnished  him.  Preachments 
of  this  kind  are  extremely  disgustful ;  the  mind  is  neither  elevated, 
nor  informed,  nor  is  the  heart  at  all  moved.  In  matters  of  religion 
and  piety,  not  to  edify  much,  is  to  destroy  much;  and  a  sermon  cold 
and  poor  will  do  more  mischief  in  an  hour,  than  a  hundred  rich  ser- 
mons can  do  good.  I  do  not  mean,  that  a  preacher  should  always 
use  his  utmost  efforts,  nor  that  he  should  always  preach  alike  well ; 
for  that  neither  can  nor  ought  to  be..  There  are  extraordinary  occa- 
sions, for  which  all  his  vigour  must  be  reserved.  But  I  mean,  that, 
in  ordinary  and  usual  sermons,  a  kind  of  plenitude  should  satisfy  and 
content  the  hearers.  The  preacher  must  not  always  labour  to  carry 
the  peo[)le  beyond  themselves,  nor  to  ravish  them  into  ecstasies  :  but 
he  must  always  satisfy  them,  and  maintain  in  them  an  esteem  and  an 
eagerness  for  practical  piety. 

3.  The  preacher  must  be  wise,  sober,  chaste.  I  say  tvise,  in  op- 
position to  those  impertinent  people,  who  utter  jests,  comical  compar- 
isons, quirks  and  extravagancies;  and  such  are  a  great  part  of  the 
preachers  of  the  church  of  Rome.  I  say  sober,  in  opposition  to  those 
rash  spirits,  who  would  penetrate  all,  and  curiously  dive  into  myste- 
ries beyond  the  bounds  of  modesty.  Such  are  those,  who  make  no 
difficulty  of  delivering  in  the  pulpit  all  the  speculations  of  the  schools, 
on  the  mystery  of  the  trinity,  the  incarnation,  the  eternal  reprobation 
of  mankind  ;  such  as  treat  of  questions  beyond  our  knowledge  ;  viz. 
What  would  have  been  if  Adam  had  abode  in  innocence  ;  what  the 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  141 

State  of  our  souls  after  death  ;  or  what  the  resurrection ;  and  our 
state  of  eternal  glory  in  paradise.  Such  are  they,  who  fill  their  ser- 
mons with  the  different  interpretations  of  a  term,  or  the  different  opin- 
ions of  interpreters  on  any  passage  of  scripture  ;  who  load  their  hear- 
ers with  tedious  recitals  of  ancient  history  ;  or  an  account  of  the  di- 
vers heresies  which  have  troubled  the  church  upon  any  matter  ;  all 
these  are  contrary  to  the  sobriety  of  which  we  speak,  and  which  is 
one  of  the  most  excellent  pulpit  virtues.  I  say  farther,  chaste,  in  op- 
position to  those  bold  and  impudent  geniuses  who  are  not  ashamed 
of  saying  many  things,  which  produce  unclean  ideas  in  the  mind. 
Chastity  should  weigh  the  expressions,  and  make  a  judicious  choice, 
in  order  to  keep  the  hearers'  minds  at  the  greatest  distance  from  all 
sorts  of  carnal  and  terrestrial  ideas.  The  likeliest  way  of  succeedino" 
in  these  cases  is,  to  beware  of  pressing  metaphorical  terms  too  far  ;  to 
adhere  to  general  considerations,  and  if  possible  to  explain  the  met- 
aphorical terms  in  few  words,  and  afterwards  to  cleave  entirely  to  the 
thing  itself. 

4.  A  preacher  must  be  simple  and  grave.  Simple,  speaking  things 
full  of  good  natural  sense  without  metaphysical  speculations ;  for 
none  are  more  impertinent  than  they,  who  deliver  in  the  pulpit  ab- 
stract speculations,  definitions  in  form,  and  scholastic  questions,  which 
they  pretend  to  derive  from  their  texts  ; — as,  on  the  manner  of  the 
existence  of  angels  ;  the  means  whereby  they  communicate  their  ideas 
to  each  other  ;  the  manner  in  which  ideas  eternally  subsist  in  the  di- 
vine understanding;  with  many  more  of  the  same  class,  all  certainly 
opposite  to  simplicity.  To  simple  I  add  grave,  because  all  sorts  of 
mean  thoughts  and  expressions,  all  sorts  of  vulgar  and  proverbial  say- 
ings, ought  to  be  avoided.  The  pulpit  is  the  seat  of  good  natural 
sense  ;  and  the  good  sense  of  good  men.  On  the  one  hand  then,  you 
are  not  to  philosophize  too  much,  and  refine  your  subject  out  of 
sight ;  nor,  on  the  other,  to  abase  yourself  to  the  language  and 
thoughts  of  the  dregs  of  the  people. 

5.  The  understanding  must  be  informed,  but  in  a  manner,  how- 
ever, which  affects  the  heart ;  either  to  comfort  the  hearers,  or  to  ex- 
cite them  to  acts  of  piety,  repentance,  or  holiness.  There  are  two 
ways  of  doing  this,  one  formal,  in  turning  the  subject  to  moral  uses, 
and  so  applying  it  to  the  hearers  ;  the  other  in  the  simple  choice  of 
the  things  spoken  ;  for  if  they  be  good,  solid,  evangelic,  and  edifying 
of  themselves,  should  no  application  be  formally  made,  the  auditors 
would  make  it  themselves  ;  because  subjects  of  this  kind  are  of  such 
a  nature,  that  they  cannot  enter  the  understanding  without  penetrat- 


142  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

ing  the  heart.  I  do  not  blame  the  method  of  some  preachers^  who, 
when  they  have  opened  some  point  of  doctrine,  or  made  some  impor- 
tant observation,  immediately  turn  it  into  a  brief  moral  application  to 
the  hearers  ;  this  Mr.  Daille  frequently  did  :  yet  1  think  it  should  not 
be  made  a  constant  practice,  because,  1st,  what  the  hearer  is  used  to, 
he  will  be  prepared  for,  and  so  it  will  lose  its  effect ;  and  '2dly,  be- 
cause you  would  thereby  interrupt  your  explication,  and  consequently 
also  the  attention  of  the  hearer,  which  is  a  great  inconvenience. 
Nevertheless,  when  it  is  done  but  seldom,  and  seasonably,  great  ad- 
vantage may  be  reaped. 

6.  One  of  the  most  important  precepts  for  the  discussion  of  a  text, 
and  the  composition  of  a  sermon,  is,  above  all  things,  to  avoid  excess : 
Ne  quid  nimis. 

1.  There  must  not  be  too  much  genius ;  I  mean,  not  too  many 
brilliant,  sparkling,  and  striking  things  ;  for  they  would  produce  very 
bad  effects.  The  auditor  will  never  fail  to  say  :  The  man  preaches 
himself,  aims  to  display  his  genius,  and  is  not  animated  by  the  spirit 
of  God,  but  by  that  of  the  world.  Besides,  the  hearer  would  be  over- 
charged ;  the  mind  of  man  has  its  bounds  and  measures,  and  as  the 
eye  is  dazzled  with  too  strong  a  light,  so  is  the  mind  offended  with  the 
glare  of  too  great  an  assemblage  of  beauties.  Farther,  it  would  des- 
troy the  principal  end  of  preaching,  which  is  to  sanctify  the  con- 
science ;  for  when  the  mind  is  overloaded  with  too  many  agreeable 
ideas,  it  has  not  leisure  to  reflect  on  the  objects;  and,  without  reflec- 
tion, the  heart  is  unaffected. 

2.  A  sermon  must  not  be  overcharged  with  doctrine,  because  the 
hearers'  memories  cannot  retain  it  all,  and  by  aiming  to  keep  all, 
they  will  lose  all ;  and  because  you  will  be  obliged  either  to  be  exces- 
sively tedious,  or  to  propose  the  doctrine  in  a  dry,  barren,  scholastic 
manner,  which  will  deprive  it  of  all  its  beauty  and  efficacy.  A  ser- 
mon should  instruct,  please,  and  affect ;  that  is,  it  should  always  do 
these  as  much  as  possible.  As  the  doctrinal  part,  which  is  instruc- 
tive, should  always  be  proposed  in  an  agreeable  and  affecting  man- 
ner; so  the  agreeable  parts  should  be  proposed  in  an  instructive  man- 

ijp.er  ;  and  even  in  the  conclusion,  which  is  designed  wholly  to  affect, 
ragreeableness   must   not   be   neglected,   nor   altogether    instruction. 
Take  care,  then,  not  to  charge  your  sermon  with  too   much  mat- 
ter. 

3.  Care  must  also  be  taken  never  to  strain  any  particular  part, 
either  in  attempting  to  exhaust  it,  or  to  penetrate  too  far  into  it.  If 
you  aim  at  exhausting  a  subject,   you  will  be  obliged  to  heap  up  a 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  148 

number  of  common  things  without  choice  or  discernment;  if  atpen> 
etrating,  you  cannot  avoid  falling  into  many  curious  questions,  and 
unedifying  subtilties  ;  and  frequently  in  attempting  it  you  will  distil 
the  subject  till  it  evaporates. 

.1.  Figures  must  not  be  uverstrained.  This  is  done  by  stretching 
metaphor  into  allegory,  or  by  carrying  a  parallel  too  far.  A  meter 
phor  is  changed  into  an  allegory,  when  a  number  of  things  are  heap- 
ed up,  which  agree  to  the  subject,  in  keeping  close  to  the  metaphor. 
As  in  explaining  this  text,  God  is  a  stm  and  a  shield;  it  would  be 
stretching  the  metaphor  into  an  allegory  to  make  a  great  collection 
of  what  God  is  in  himself;  what  to  us  ;  what  he  does  in  the  under- 
standing and  conscience  of  the  believer  ;  what  he  operates  on  the 
wicked  ;  what  his  absence  causeth  ;  and  all  these  under  terms,  which 
have  a  perpetual  relation  to  the  sun.  Allegories  may  be  sometimes 
used  very  agreeably ;  but  they  must  not  be  strained,  that  is,  all,  that 
can  be  said  on  them,  must  not  be  said.  A  parallel  is  run  too  far, 
when  a  great  number  of  conformities  between  the  figure,  and  the 
thing  represented  by  the  figure,  are  heaped  together.  This  is  almost 
the  perpetual  vice  of  mean  and  low  preachers;  for  when  they  catch  a 
figurative  word,  or  a  metaphor,  as  when  God's  word  is  called  ^fire,  or 
a  sword;  or  the  church  a  house,  or  a  dove ;  or  Jesus  Christ  a  light,  a 
sun,  a  vine,  or  a  door  ;  they  never  fail  making  a  long  detail  of  conform- 
ities between  the  figures  and  the  subjects  themselves;  and  frequently 
say  ridiculous  things.  This  vice  must  be  avoided,  and  you  must  be 
content  to  explain  the  metaphor  in  a  few  words,  and  to  mark  the  prin- 
cipal agreements,  in  order  afterward  to  cleave  to  the  thing  itself 

5.  Reasoning  must  not  he  carried  too  far.  This  may  be  done 
many  ways ;  either  by  long  trains  of  reasons,  composed  of  a  quantity 
of  propositions  chained  together,  or  principles  and  consequences ; 
which  way  of  reasoning  is  embarrassing  and  painful  to  the  auditor; 
or  by  making  many  branches  of  reasons,  and  establishing  them  one 
after  another  ;  which  is  tiresome  and  fatiguing  to  the  mind.  The 
mind  of  man  loves  to  be  conducted  in  a  more  smooth  and  easy  way  ; 
all  must  not  be  proved  at  once ;  but,  supposing  principles,  which  are 
true  and  plain,  and  which  you,  when  it  is  necessary,  are  capable  of 
proving  and  supporting,  you  must  be  content  with  using  them  to  prove 
what  you  have  in  hand.  Yet  I  do  not  mean,  that  in  reasoning,  argu- 
ments should  be  so  short  and  dry,  and  proposed  in  so  brief  a  manner 
as  to  divest  the  truth  of  half  its  force,  as  many  authors  leave  them. 
I  only  mean,  that  a  due  medium  should  be  preserved  ;  that  is,  that 
without  fatiguing  the  mind  and  attention  of  the  hearer,  reasons  should 


144  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

be  placed  in  just  as  much  force  and  clearness,  as  are  necessary  to 
produce  the  effect. 

Reasoning  also  may  be  overstrained  by  heaping  great  numbers  of 
proofs  on  the  same  subject.  Numerous  proofs  are  intolerable,  except 
in  a  principal  matter,  which  is  like  to  be  much  questioned  or  contro- 
verted by  the  hearers.  In  such  a  case  you  would  be  obliged  to  treat 
the  subject  fully  and  ex  professo ;  otherwise  the  hearers  would  con- 
sider your  attempt  to  prove  the  matter  as  an  useless  digression.  But 
when  you  are  obliged  to  treat  a  subject  fully,  when  that  subject  is 
very  important,  when  it  is  doubted  and  controverted,  then  a  great 
number  of  proofs  are  proper.  In  such  a  case,  you  must  propose  to 
convince  and  bear  down  the  opponent's  judgement,  by  making  truth 
triumph  in  many  different  manners.  In  such  a  case,  many  proofs 
associated  together  to  produce  one  effect,  are  like  many  rays  of  light, 
which  naturally  strengthen  each  other,  and  which  all  together  form  a 
body  of  brightness,  which  is  irresistible. 

6.  You  must  as  much  as  possible  abstain  from  all  sorts  of  obser- 
vations foreign  from  theology.  In  this  class  I  place,  1.  Grammat- 
ical observations  o^  Gwexy  V\x\A,  w\\\c\\  noi  being  within  the  people's 
knowledge,  can  only  weary  and  disgust  them.  They  may  neverthe- 
less be  used  when  they  furnish  an  agreeable  sense  of  the  word,  or 
open  some  important  observation  on  the  subject  itself,  provided  it 
be  done  very  seldom  and  very  pertinently. 

2.  Critical  observations  about  different  readings,  different  punc- 
tuations, &c.  must  be  avoided.  Make  all  the  use  you  can  of  critical 
knowledge  yourself;  but  spare  the  people  the  account,  for  it  must 
needs  be  very  disagreeable  to  them. 

I  add,  3dly.  Avoid  philosophical  and  historical  observations,  and 
all  such  as  belong  to  Rhetoric  ;  or,  if  you  do  use  them,  do  not  insist 
on  them,  and  choose  only  those,  which  give  either  some  light  to  the 
text,  or  heighten  its  pathos  and  beauty ;  all  others  must  be  rejected. 

Lastly.  I  say  the  same  of  passages  from  Profane  Authors,  or  Rob- 
bies, or  Fathers,  with  which  many  think  they  enrich  their  sermons. 
This  farrago  is  only  a  vain  ostentation  of  learning,  and,  very  often, 
.  they  who  fill  iheir  sermons  with  such  quotations,  know  them  only  by 
'  relation  of  others.  However,  I  would  not  blame  a  man  who  should 
use  them  discreetly.  A  quotation  not  common,  and  properly  made, 
has  a  very  good  effect. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  145 

CHAP.  III. 

OF  CONNEXION. 

The  eonne.\ion  is  the  relation  of  your  text  to  the  foregoing  or  fol- 
lowing verses.  To  find  this,  consider  the  scope  of  the  discourse,  and 
consult  commentators  ;  particularly  exercise  your  own  good  sense  j 
for  commentators  frequently  trifle,  and  give  forced  and  far-fetched 
connexions,  all  which  ought  to  be  avoided,  for  they  are  not  natural  ; 
and  sometimes  good  sense  will  discover  the  scope  and  design  of  a 
writer  far  better  than  this  kind  of  writers. 

There  are  texts,  the  connexions  of  which  (I  own)  it  will  be  some- 
times difficult  to  perceive.  In  such  a  case  endeavour  to  discover 
them  by  frequent  and  intense  meditation,  or  take  that  which  com- 
mentators furnish  ;  and  among  many  which  they  give,  choose  that 
which  appears  most  natural  ;  and  if  you  can  find  none  likely,  the 
best  way  will  be  to  let  the  passage  alone.  The  connexion  is  a  part, 
which  must  be  very  little  insisted  on,  because  the  hearers  almost  al- 
ways pass  it  over,  and  receive  but  little  instruction  from  it. 

When  the  coherence  will  furnish  any  agreeable  considerations 
for  the  illustration  of  the  text,  they  must  be  put  in  the  discussion; 
and  this  will  very  often  happen.  Sometimes  also  you  may  draw 
thence  an  exordium  :  in  such  a  case  the  exordium  and  connexion  will 
be  confounded  tosether. 


CHAP.  IV. 

OF  DIVISION. 

Division,  in  general,  ought  to  be  restrained  to  a  small  number  of 
parts  :  They  should  never  exceed  four  or  five   at  the   most ;  the  most 
admired  sermons  have  only  two  or  three  parts.* 
— ■ ^jj^j — 

*  A  proper  method  of  division  may  be  seeu  in  the  following  specimen 
from  Cicero. 

Cau?a  quffi  sit  videtis  ;  nunc  quid  ao^endum  sit  considerate.  Primum  mihi 
videtur  de  genere  belli  ;  deinde  de  magniludine  ;  turn  de  imperatore  d^-ligendo 
esse  dicendum.  Primum  belluin  Asiaticum  °;enere  suo  grave  et  aecessariii.ii 
esse.  1.  Quia  agitur  gioria  pop.  Ro.n.  "2.  Quia  agitur  sa'.us  sociorum  3.  Quia 
aguhtur  vectigalia  maxima.  4.  Quia  aguntur  tortuiia  multorum  civium.  .  .  . 
2'erliurn  Pompeius  est  bonus  imperator,  quia  in  eo  sunt  qualuor  virtutes,  quae 
bonum  impeiut^rem  commendant.  1.  Sjcientia  rei  miiitaris.  "2.  Virtus.  3.  Auc- 
toritas.     4.  Felicitas.  Pro  lege  Manilia. 

19 


146  AN  ESSAV  ON  THE 

There  are  two  sorts  of  divisions,  which  we  may  very  properly 
make  ;  the  first,  which  is  the  most  common,  is  the  division  of  the  text 
into  its  parts  :  the  other  is  of  the  discourse,  or  sermon  itself,  which  is 
made  on  the  text.* 

I.  The  division  of  a  discourse  is  proper,  when,  to  give  light  to  a 
text,  it  is  necessary  to  mention  many  things,  which  the  text  supposes 
but  does  not  formally  express;  and  which  must  be  collected  elsewhere, 
in  order  to  enable  you  to  give  in  the  end  a  just  explication  of  the  text. 
In  such  a  case  you  may  divide  your  discourse  into  two  parts,  the  first 
containing  some  general  considerations  necessary  for  understanding 
the  text ;  and  the  second  the  particular  explication  of  the  text  itself. 

1.  This  method  is  proper  when  d^  prophecy  of  the  Old  Testament 
is  handled  ;  for  generally,  the  understanding  of  these  prophecies  de- 
pends on  many  general  considerations,  which,  by  exposing  and  re- 
futing false  senses,  open  a  way  to  the  true  explication  ;  as  appears 
by  what  has  been  said  on  Gen.  iii.  15  ;  "I  will  put  enmity  between 
thee,  and  the  woman  ;  and  between  thy  seed,  and  her  seed  ;  it  shall 
bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel  j"  and  on  the  cov- 
enant made  with  Abraham,  &c.t 

2.  This  method  is  also  proper  on  a  text  taken  from  a  dispute,  the 
understanding  of  which  must  depend  on  the  state  of  the  question,  the 
hypotheses  of  adversaries,  and  the  principles  of  the  inspired  writers. 
All  these  lights  are  previously  necessary,  and  they  can  only  be  given 
by  general  considerations  :  For  example,  Rom.  iii.  28.  •  "  We  con- 
clude that  a  man  is  justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law." 
Some  general  considerations  must  precede,  which  clear  up  the  state 
of  the  question  between  St.  Paul  and  the  Jews,  touching  justifica- 
tion :  which  mark  the  hypothesis  of  the  Jews  upon  that  subject,  and 
which  discover  the  true  principle,  which  St.  Paul  would  establish;  so 
that  in  the  end  the  text  may  be  clearly  understood. 

3.  This  method  also  is  proper  in  a  conclusion  drawn  from  a  long 
preceding  discourse;  as  for  example,  Rom.  v.  i.  "Therefore  being 
justified  by  faith  we  have  peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  Some  think  that,  to  manage  this  text  well,  we  ought  not  to 
speak  oi justification  by  faith  ;  but  only  of  that  peace,  which  we  have 
with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I  grant,  we  ought  not  to 
make  justification  the  chief  part  of  the  sermon  ;  but  the  text  is  a  con-  * 
elusion  drawn  by  the  apostle  from   the   preceding  discourse  ;  and  we 

*  These  may  be  called  textual  and  topical. 

+  These  general  considerations  appear  better  still  in  an  exordium. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  147 

shall  deceive  ourselves,  if  we  imagine  this  dispute  betu^een  St.  Paul 
and  the  Jews  so  well  known  to  the  people,  that  it  is  needless  to  speak 
of  it ;  they  are  not,  in  general,  so  well  acquainted  with  scripture. 
The  discourse  then  must  be  divided  into  two  parts,  the  first  consisting 
of  some  general  considerations  on  the  doctrine  of  justification,  which 
St.  Paul  establishes  in  the  preceding  chapters ;  and  the  second,  of 
his  conclitsio7i,  That,  being  thus  justified,   tve  have  peace  with   God, 

The  same  may  be  said  of  the  first  verse  of  the  viii.  of  Romans, 
"  There  is  therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them,  that  are  in  Christ 
Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit ;"  for  it  is  a 
consequence  drawn  from  what  he  had  been  establishing  before. 

4.  The  same  method  is  proper  for  texts,  which  are  quoted  in  the 
New  Testament  fi-om  the  Old.  You  must  prove  by  general  consid- 
erations, that  the  text  is  properly  produced,  and  then  you  may  come 
clearly  to  its  explication.  Of  this  kind  are  Heb.  i.  5,  6.  "  I  will  be 
to  him  a  father  and  he  shall  be  to  me  a  son  :"  ii.  6.  •'  One  in  a  cer- 
tain place  testified,  saying,  What  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of 
him  ?"  iii.  7.  "  Wherefore,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  saith,  To-day  if  ye  will 
hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts."  There  are  many  passages  of 
this  kind  in  the  New  Testament. 

5.  In  this  class  must  be  placed  divisions  into  different  respects,  or 
different  vietcs.  These,  to  speak  properly,  are  not  divisions  of  a  text 
into  its  parts,  but  rather  different  applications,  which  are  made  of  the 
same  text  to  divers  subjects.  Typical  texts  should  be  divided  thus  ; 
and  a  great  number  of  passages  in  the  Psalms,  which  relate  not  onlj^ 
to  David,  but  also  to  Jesus  Christ ;  such  should  be  considered,  first, 
literally,  as  they  relate  to  David ;  and  then,  in  their  mystical  sense, 
as  they  refer  to  the  Lord  Jesus. 

There  are  also  typical  passages,  which,  beside  their  literal  senses, 
have  also  figurative  meanings,  relating  not  only  to  Jesus  Christ,  but 
also  to  the  church  in  general,  and  to  every  believer  in  particular ;  or 
which  have  different  degrees  of  their  mystical  accomplishment.* 

For  example,  Dan.  ix.  7.  "  O  Lord,  righteousness  belongeth  unto 

thee,  but  unto  us  confusion  of  face  as  at  this  day :"  (which  is  a  very 

proper  text  for  a  fast  day,)  must  not  be  divided  into  parts;  but  con- 

H  sidered  in  different  y/ei^^s,     L  In  regard  to  «//?«ew  in  general.  2.  In 

:   regard  to  the  Jewish  church  in   Daniel's  time.     And,    3.  In  regard  to 

I  ourselves  at  this  present  day. 

*  Ti/pe*  should  be  handled  cautiously  and  soberly,  and  always  under  the 
immediate  direction  of  the  New  Testament  writers.  A  man  is  always  safe  when 
he  follows  these  jruides. 


]48  ANT  ESSAY  ON  THE 

II.  As  to  the  division  of  the  text  itself,  sometimes  the  order  of  the 
words  is  so  clear  and  natural,  that  no  division  is  necessary  ;  you  need 
only  follow  simply  the  order  of  the  words.  As  for  example,  Eph.  i.  3. 
"  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places  in 
Christ."  It  is  not  necessary  to  divide  this  text,  because  the  words 
divide  themselves  ;  and  to  explain  them  we  need  only  follow  them. 
Here  is  a  grateful  acknowledgement,  blessed  be  God.  The  title,  un- 
der which  the  apostle  blesses  God,  i/ie  Fatlier  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  The  reason,  for  which  he  blesses  him,  because  he  hath  bles- 
sed us.  The  plenitude  of  this  blessing,  with  all  blessings.  The  na- 
ture or  kind,  signified  by  the  term,  spiritual.  The  place,  where  he 
hath  blessed  us,  in  heavenly  places.  In  whom  he  hath  blessed  us,  in 
Christ. 

Most  texts,  however,  ought  to  be  formally  divided  ;  for  which  pur- 
pose you  must  principally  have  regard  to  the  order  of  nature,  and  put 
that  division,  which  naturally  precedes,  in  the  first  place  ;  and  the 
rest  must  follow,  each  in  its  proper  order.  This  may  easily  be  done 
by  reducing  the  text  to  a  categorical  proposition,  beginning  with  the 
subject,  passing  to  the  attribute,  and  then  to  the  other  terms  ;  your 
judgement  will  direct  you  how  to  place  them.* 

*  Oratio  cujus  summa  virtus  est  perspicuitas,  quam  sit  vitiosa  si  eg-eatinter- 
prete  !  Quint.  Inst.  lib.  i.  c  4. 

Allowinsf  that  texts  are  to  be  divided  after  reduciiig'  tiiera  to  categorical, 
i.  e.  to  single  propositions,  either  simple,  the  subjects  and  predicates  of  which 
consist  of  single  terms;  or  complex,  the  subjects  and  predicates   of  ■which  are 

«ade  up  of  complex  terms  ;  allowing  that  the  subject  is  to  be  considered  first, 
en  the  attributes.,  which  in  logic  are  the  same  with  prt  dicates,  or  what  may  he 
affirmed  or  denied  of  any  snhjoct  ;  allowing  all  this,  yet  it  must  not  be  forgot- 
ten that  this  operation,  and  these  terms  belong  to  fht-  laboratory,  and  should 
never  appear  in  prescriptions  to  the  people;  especially  as  Mr.  Claude^s  pro- 
posed end  may  be  better  answered  without  them.  He  aims  to  make  divisions 
natural ;  here  is  an  example. 

Archbishop     f'lechier,   on    Saul's   conversion,   considers,  first,  uhat   Jesus 

\  Christ  did  for  St.  Paul.     2.    What  St.  Pav.l  did  for  Jesus  Christ.     In  the  first 

\part  he  opens  divine  compassion,  as  a   spring  whence  flowed    Paul's   creation, 

'.preservation,  conversion,  gifts,  graces,  usefulness,  &c.    The  second  part  relates 

the  use  that  St.  Paul  made  of  all  these  out  of  gratitude,  and  to  God's  glory. 

Fleck.  Ser,  Tom.  i. 
The  Archbishop  of  Cambray,  Fendon.,  preaching  to  a  religious  order,  some 
of  whom  had  been  employed  in  missions  to  the  last,  from  Isa.  Ix.  1.  Jlrise^ 
shine.,  for  thy  light  7s  come.  Sec.  mtroduces  his  di\h\nn  thus:  "But  I  feel  my 
heart  moved  within  me  ;  it  is  divided  between  joy  and  grief;  the  ministry  of 
these  apostolic  men,  and  the  call  of  these  Eastern  people,  are  the  triumphs  of 
religion  ;  but  perhaps  they  may  also  be  the  effects  of  a  secret  reprobation, 
■which  hangs  over  us.  Perhaps  these  people  may  rise  upon  our  ruins,  as  the 
Gentiies  rose  upon  the  ruins  of  the  Jews.  Let  us  then  rejoice  in  the  Lord; 
but  let  us  rejoice  with  trembling.  These  two  exhortations  divide  my  discourse." 

Fenel.  Oeuir.  Tom.  ii. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  149 

It  remains  to  be  observed,  that  there  are  two  natural  orders,  one 
natural  in  regard  to  subjects  themselves,  the  other  natural  in  regard 
to  us.  The  first  considers  every  thing  in  its  natural  situation,  as 
things  are  in  themselves,  without  any  regard  to  our  knowledge  of 
them ;  the  other,  which  I  call  natural  in  regard  to  us,  observes  the 
situation,  which  things  have  as  they  appear  in  our  minds,  or  enter  in- 
to our  thoughts. 

When  in  any  text  the  natural  order  of  things  differs  from  that, 
which  regards  our  knowledge  of  them,  we  may  take  that  way,  which 
we  like  best ;  however,  I  believe,  it  would  be  best  to  follow  that  of 
our  knowledge,  because  it  is  easiest,  and  clearest  for  the  common 
people. 

There  are  texts,  which  contain  the  end  and  the  means  ;  the  cause 
and  the  effect ;  the  principle  and  the  consequence  deduced  from  the 
principle  ;  the  action  and  the  principle  of  the  action  ;  the  occasion 
and  the  motive  of  the  occasion  :  in  these  cases  it  is  arbitrary  either  to 
begin  with  the  means,  and  afterwards  treat  of  the  end;  with  the  ef- 
fect, and  proceed  to  the  cause,  and  so  on  ;  or  to  follow  the  contrary 
order.  For  instance,  2  Tim.  ii.  10.  "  Therefore  I  endure  all  things 
for  the  elect's  sake,  that  they  may  also  obtain  the  salvation  which  is 
in  Christ  with  eternal  glory."  It  is  plain,  that  the  text  has  three 
parts ;  the  sufferings  of  the  apostle  ;  the  end  he  proposes  ;  and  the 
principle,  from  which  he  proposes  this  end.  The  order  is  then  arbi- 
trary ;  you  may  either  speak,  first,  of  St.  Paul's  love  to  the  elect ;  sec- 
ondly, of  the  safoafeon^  which  he  desired  they  might  obtain  in  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  thirdly,  of  the  sufferings,  which  he  endured  in  order  to 
their  obtaining  it ;  or,  first  of  his  sufferings ;  secondly  of  the  eim, 
which  he  proposed  in  them,  the  salvation  of  the  elect  with  eternal 
glory  ;  and  thirdly^  of  his  love  for  the  elect,  which  is  the  principle. 

Bishop  Massillon,  preachinop  to  his  clergy,  on  Luke  ii.  34,  "  This  child  is 
set  i'or  the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israt^l,"  after  an  agreeable  exordi- 
um, says,  '  Let  us  pass  all  other  reasons  of  this  mystery,  and  confine  ourselves 
to  one  single  truth,  which  regards  ourselves.'  He  then  accommodates  the 
words  to  every  minister  entering  on  his  holy  office,  adding,  "■  for  on  this  sol- 
emn occasion  it  may  be  said  of  him,  Behold  this  man  is  set  for  the  fail,  or  ris- 
ing again  of  many  in  Israel  ;  he  comes  to  be  the  instrument  of  the  perdition, 
or  the  salvation  of  many.  On  this  terrible  alternative  runs  the  destiny  of  a 
minister,  and  it  is  literally  true  of  every  one  of  you,  that  you  already  are,  or  are 
about  to  be  established  to  build  up,  or  to  pull  down  ;  to  rid  the  church  of 
scandals,  or  to  cause  new  ones ;  to  save  or  to  destroy  ;  in  one  word,  to  be  a 
savour  of  life  unto  life,  or  of  death  unto  death  among  the  people  ;  these  are  the 
two  parts  &;c." 

1  will  not  say  that  these  gentlemen  did  not  reduce  their  texts  to  categorical 
propositions  in  private,  in  the  study;  but  I  may  venture  to  say,  if  they  did. 
they  brought  them  to  a  right  issue  in  the  pulpit.  And  this  I  think  is  Mr. C/atn/eV 
meaning-.  Robinson. 


15d  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

But  though,  in  general,  you  may  follow  which  of  the  two  orders 
you  please,  yet  there  are  some  texts,  that  determine  the  division  ;  as 
Phil.  ii.  13.  "  It  is  God  who  worketh  effectually  in  you,  both  to  will, 
and  to  do,  of  his  own  good  pleasure."  There  are,  it  is  plain,  three 
things  to  be  discussed ;  the  action  of  God's  grace  upon  men,  God 
worketh  effectually  in  you  ;  the  effect  of  this  grace,  to  will  and  to  do  ; 
and  the  spring  or  source  of  the  action,  according  to  Ms  good  pleasure. 
I  think  the  division  would  not  be  proper  if  we  were  to  treat,  1.  Of 
God's  good  pleasure.  2.  Of  his  grace.  And  3.  Of  the  will  and  works 
of  men.  I  should  rather  begin  with  volition  and  action,  which  are 
the  effects  of  grace  ;  then  I  should  speak  of  the  grace  itself,  which 
produces  willing  and  doing  in  us  effectually  ;  and  lastly,  of  the 
source  of  this  grace,  which  is  the  good  pleasure  of  God.  In  short,  it 
is  always  necessary  to  consult  good  sense,  and  never  to  be  so  con- 
ducted by  general  rules  as  not  to  attend  to  particular  circumstances. 

Above  all  things,  in  divisions,  take  care  of  putting  any  thing  in 
the  first  part,  which  supposes  the  understanding  of  the  second,  or 
which  obliges  you  to  treat  of  the  second  to  make  the  first  understood ; 
for  by  these  means  you  will  throw  yourself  into  a  great  confusion,  and 
be  obliged  to  many  tedious  repetitions.  You  must  endeavour  to  dis- 
engage the  one  from  the  other  as  well  as  you  can  ;  and  when  your 
parts  are  too  closely  connected  with  each  other,  place  the  most  de- 
tached first,  and  endeavour  to  make  that  serve  for  a  foundation  to  the 
explication  of  the  second,  and  the  second  to  the  third  ;  so  that  at  the 
end  of  your  explication  the  hearer  may  with  a  glance  perceive,  as  it 
were,  a  perfect  body,  or  a  finished  building  ;  for  one  of  the  greatest 
excellencies  of  a  sermon  is,  the  harmony  of  its  component  parts,  that 
the  first  leads  to  the  second,  the  second  serves  to  introduce  the  third  ; 
that  they  which  go  before,  excite  a  desire  for  those  which  are  to  fol- 
low ;  and,  in  a  word,  that  the  last  has  a  special  relation  to  all  the  oth- 
ers, in  order  to  form  in  the  hearer's  mind  a  complete  idea  of  the 
whole. 

This  cannot  be  done  with  all  sorts  of  texts,  but  with  those  only, 
which  are  proper  to  form  such  a  design  upon.  Remember,  too,  it 
is  not  enough  to  form  such  a  plan  ;  it  must  also  be  happily  execut- 
ed. 

You  will  often  find  it  necessary  in  texts,  which  you  reduce  to 
categorical  propositions,  to  treat  of  the  subject,  as  well  as  of  the  attri- 
bute ;  then  you  must  make  of  the  subject  one  part.  This  will  always 
happen,  when  the  subject  of  the  proposition  is  expressed  in  terms, 
that  want  explaining,  or  which  furnish  many  considerations.    For  ex- 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  151 

ample  ;  "  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth 
forth  much  fruit."  This  is  a  categorical  proposition,  and  you  must 
needs  treat  of  the  subject,  he  who  abides  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  whom 
Jesus  Christ  abides.  So  again,  "  He  that  believeth  in  me,  hath  ev- 
erlasting life."  "  He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood, 
abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him."  "  There  is  therefore  now  no  condem- 
nation to  them,  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walketh  not  after  the 
flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit."  "  U  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new 
creature."  The  two  last  ought  to  be  reduced  to  categorical  proposi- 
tions, the  subjects  of  which  are,  thei/  who  are  in  Christ.  In  these, 
and  in  all  others  of  the  same  kind,  the  subject  must  make  one  part, 
and  must  also  be  considered  first ;  for  it  is  more  natural,  as  well  as 
most  agreeable  to  the  rules  of  logic,  to  begin  with  the  subject  of  a 
proposition.  Sometimes  it  is  necessary  not  only  to  make  one  part  of 
the  subject,  and  another  of  the  attribute ;  but  also  to  make  a  third  of 
the  connexion  of  the  subject  with  the  attribute.  In  this  case,  you 
may  say,  after  you  have  observed  in  the  first  place  the  subject,  and  in 
the  second  the  attribute,  that  you  will  consider  in  the  third  the  entire 
sense  of  the  loliole  proposition ;  this  must  be  done  in  these  texts ; 
"  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature."  "  He  that  believ- 
eth in  me,  hath  eternal  life,"  &c. 

Sometimes  there  are,  in  texts  reduced  to  categorical  propositions, 
terms,  which  in  the  schools  are  called  syncategorematica,  and  they  re- 
late sometimes  to  the  subject  and  sometimes  to  the  attribute.* 

When  in  a  text  there  are  several  terms,  which   need  a  particular 
explanation,  and   which  cannot   be  explained  without  confusion,  or 
without  dividing  the  text  into  too  many  parts,  then  I  would  not  divide 
the  text  at  all :  but  I  would  divide  the  discourse  into  two  or  three 
parts ;  and  I  would  propose,  first  to  explain  the  terms,  and  then  the 
subject  itself.     This  would  be  necessary  on  Acts  ii.  27  ;  "  Thou  wilt 
not  leave  my  soul  in  the  grave,  neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  ] 
to  see  corruption."  To  discuss  this  text  properly,  I  think  the  discourse  i 
should  be  divided  into  three  parts,  the  first  consisting  of  some  general 
considerations,  to  prove  that  the  text  relates  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  Pe- 
ter alleged  it  properly  :   The  second  of  some  particular  considerations 
on  the  terms,  sow/,  which  signifies /z/e  ;  grave,  which  also  signifies  A^?/;  / 
on  which  the  church  of  Rome  grounds  her  opinion  of  Christ's  descent  { 
into,  what  her  divines  call  limbus  patrum ;    holy,  which  in  this  place 

*  Syncategorematica,  Of  this  kind  are  those  words,  which  of  themselves 
signify  nothing,  but  in  coDjunction  with  others  in  a  proposition  are  very  signi- 
ficant. 


152  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

signifies  immortal,  unalterable,  indestructible ;  corruption,  which 
means  not  the  moral  corruption  of  sin,  but  the  natural  corruption  of 
the  body.  Finally,  we  must  examine  the  subject  itself,  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ. 

In  texts  of  reasoning,  the  propositions  which  compose  the  syllogism 
must  be  examined  one  after  another,  and  each  apart. 

Sometimes  it  will  be  even  necessary  to  consider  the  force  of  the 
reasoning,  and  to  make  one  part  of  that  also. 

There  are  texts  of  reasoning,  which  are  composed  of  an  objection 
and  the  answer,  and  the  division  of  such  is  plain  ;  for  they  naturally 
divide  into  the  objection  and  the  solution.  As  Rom.  vi.  1,2.  "  What 
shall  we  say  then,  shall  we  continue  in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound  1 
God  forbid  ;  how  shall  we,  that  are  dead  to  sin,  live  any  longer  there- 
in ?"  Divide  this  into  two  parts,  the  objection,  and  the  answer.  The 
objection  is,  first,  proposed  in  general  terms,  what  shall  we  soy  then  1 
2.  In  more  particular  terms,  shall  we  continue  in  sin  ?  And,  3.  The 
reason  and  ground  of  the  objection,  because  grace  abounds.  The  so- 
lution of  the  question  is  the  same.  In  general,  God  forbid.  In  par- 
ticular, how  shall  we  live  in  sin  ?     And  the  reason,  we  are  dead  to  sin. 

There  are  some  texts  of  reasoning,  which  are  extremely  difficult 
to  divide,  because  they  cannot  be  reduced  to  many  propositions  with- 
out confusion,  or  savouring  too  much  of  the  schools,  or  having  a  de- 
fect in  the  division;  in  short,  without  being  unsatisfactory.  In  such 
a  case,  let  ingenuity  and  good  sense  contrive  some  extraordinary  way, 
which,  if  proper  and  agreeable,  cannot  fail  of  producing  a  good  effect. 
For  example,  John  iv.  10.  "  If  thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God,  and 
who  it  is  that  saith  to  thee.  Give  me  to  drink,  thou  wouldst  have  asked 
of  him,  and  he  would  have  given  thee  living  water  :"  I  think  it  might 
not  be  improper  to  divide  it  into  two  parts,  the  first  indudincr  the  gen- 
eral propositions  contained  in  the  words,  and  the  second,  the  partic- 
ular application  of  these  to  the  Samaritan  woman.  In  the  first,  ob- 
serve these  following  propositions  :  That  Jesiis  Christ  is  the  gift  of 
God. — That  though  he  asked  for  drink,  he  is  the  fountain  of  living 
loater  himself. — That  he  is  the  object  of  our  knowledge,  both  as  the 
gift  of  God,  and  as  i\\e  fount  of  living  water. — That  an  application  to 
him  for  this  living  water,  flows  from  our  knowledge  of  him.— That 
he  gives  the  water  of  life,  to  all,  who  ask  it.  In  the  second  part  you 
may  observe,  that  Jesus  Christ  did  not  disdain  to  converse  with  a 
icoman,  a  Samaritan  woman,  a  schismatic,  out  of  the  communion  of 
the  visible  church,  a  very  ioickedwoxnz.r\,  a  woman,  who  in  her  schism 
and  sin  disputed  against  the  truth.-r-That  Jesus  Christ  improved  this 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  153 

opportunity  to  teach  her  his  grace,  without  amusing  himself  with  di- 
rectly answering  what  she  said. — You  may  remark  the  ignorance  of 
this  woman  in  regard  to  the  Lord  Jesus ;  she  saw  him  ;  she  heard 
him  ;  but  she  did  not  know  him  :  from  which  you  may  observe,  that 
this  is  the  general  condition  of  sinners,  who  have  God  always  before 
their  eyes,  yet  never  perceive  him. — That  from  the  woman's  igno- 
rance arose  her  negligence  and  loss  of  such  a  fair  opportunity  of  be- 
ing instructed.  Observe  also  the  mercy  of  Jesus  Christ  towards  her  ; 
for  he  even  promised  to  save  her.  When  he  said,  "  If  thou  wouldest 
have  asked  of  him,  he  would  have  given  thee  living  water  ;"  it  was  as 
much  as  if  he  had  offered  to  instruct  her. — Remark,  too,  that  Jesus 
Christ  went  even  so  far  as  to  command  her  to  ask  him  for  living  wa- 
ter ;  for  when  he  said,  "  If  thou  wouldest  have  asked  him,"  he  did  as 
much  as  say,  ask  him  now. — Observe,  finally,  that  he  excited  her  to 
seek,  and  to  know  him,  and  removed  her  ignorance,  the  cause  of  all 
her  mistakes  and  miseries. 

There  are  sometimes  texts  zvhich  ivrply  many  important  truths 
without  expressing  them,  and  yet  it  will  be  necessary  to  mention  and 
enlarge  upon  them,  either  because  they  are  useful  on  some  important 
occasion,  or  because  they  are  important  of  themselves.  Then  the 
text  must  be  divided  into  two  parts,  one  implied,  and  the  other  ex- 
pressed. I  own  this  way  of  division  is  bold,  and  must  neither  be 
abused,  nor  too  often  used  ;  but  there  are  occasions,  it  is  certain,  on 
which  it  may  be  very  justly  and  agreeably  taken.  A  certain  preacher 
on  a  fast  day,  having  taken  for  his  subject  these  words  of  Isaiah,  "  Seek 
the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found,"  divided  his  text  into  two  parts,  one 
implied,  the  other  expressed.  In  the  first  he  said,  that  there  were 
three  important  truths,  of  which  he  was  obliged  to  speak  :  1.  That 
God  wdiS  far  froin  us.  2.  That  we  were  far  from  him.  And,  3.  That 
there  was  a  time,  in  which  God  would  not  be  found,  although  we 
sought  him.  He  spoke  of  these  one  after  another.  In  the  first  he 
enumerated  the  afflictions  of  the  church,  in  a  most  affecting  manner  ; 
observing  that  all  these  sad  events  did  but  too  plainly  prove  the  ab- 
sence of  the  favour  of  God.  2.  He  enumerated  the  sins  of  the  church, 
and  shewed  how  distant  we  were  from  God.  And  in  the  third  place 
he  represented  that  sad  time,  when  God's  patience  was,  as  it  were, 
wearied  out,  and  added,  that  then  he  displayed  his  heaviest  judgements, 
without  speaking  any  more  the  language  of  mercy.  At  length  com- 
ing to  the  part  expressed,  he  explained  what  it  was  to  seek  the  Lord, 
and  by  a  pathetic  exhortation,  stirred  up  his  hearers  to  make  that 
search.  Finally,  he  explained  what  was  the  time,  in  which  God 
20 


154  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

would  be  found,  and  renewed  his  exhortations  to  repentance,  mixing 
therewith  hopes  of  pardon,  and  of  the  hlessing  of  God.  His  sermon 
was  very  much  admired,  particularly  for  its  order. 

In  texts  of  history,  divisions  are  easy:  sometimes  an  action  is  re- 
lated in  all  its  circumstances,  and  then  yon  may  consider  the  action 
in  itself  first,  and  afterward  the  circumstances  of  the  action. 

Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  remark  the  occasionoi ^n  action,  and 
to  make  one  part  of  it. 

Sometimes  there  are  actions  and  words,  which  must  be  considered 
Beparateli/. 

Sometimes  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  any  division  at  all :  but  the 
order  of  the  history  must  be  followed.  In  short,  it  depends  on  the 
state  of  each  text  in  particular. 

III.  To  render  a  division  agreeable,  and  easy  to  be  remembered 
by  the  hearer,  endeavour  to  reduce  it,  as  often  as  possible,  to  simple 
terms.  By  a  simple  term  I  mean  a  single  tvord,  in  the  same  sense  as 
in  logic  what  they  call  terminus  simplex  is  distinguished  from  what 
they  call  terminus  complex.  Indeed,  when  the  parts  of  a  discourse  are 
expressed  in  abundance  of  words,  they  are  not  only  embarrassing,  but 
also  useless  to  the  hearers,  for  they  cannot  retain  them.  Reduce  them 
then,  as  often  as  you  can,  to  a  single  term. 

Observe  also,  as  often  as  possible,  to  connect  the  parts  of  your  di- 
vision together;  either  by  way  of  opposition,  or  of  cause  and  effect, 
or  of  action  and  end,  or  action  and  motive,  or  in  some  way  or  other; 
for  to  make  a  division  of  many  parts,  which  have  no  connexion,  is  ex- 
ceedingly offensive  to  the  hearers,  who  will  be  apt  to  think,  that  all 
you  say,  after  such  a  division,  is  nonsense  ;  besides,  the  human  mind 
naturally  loving  order,  it  will  much  more  easily  retain  a  division,  in 
which  there  appears  a  connexion.* 

As  to  subdivisions,  it  is  always  necessary  to  make  them  ;  for  they 
very  much  assist  composition,  and  diffuse  perspicuity  through  a  dis- 
course :  but  it  is  not  always  needful  to  mention  them  ;  on  the  contra- 
ry, they  must  be  very  seldom  mentioned  ;  because  it  would  load  the 
hearer's  mind  with  a  multitude  of  particulars.  Nevertheless,  when 
subdivisions  can  be  made  agreeably,  either  on  account  of  the  excel- 
lence of  the  matter,  or  when  it  will  raise  the  hearer's  attention,  or 
when  the  justness  of  parts  harmonize  agreeably  one  with  another, 
you  may  formally  mention  them  ;  but  this  must  be  done  very  seldom  ; 

*  This  direction  of  Mr.  Claude's,  like  most  of  his  other  rules,  is  founded  on 
the  knowledge  of  human  nature,  which  delights  in  orderly  connexions,  and  is 
extremely  disgusted  with  every  thing  incongruous.  Robinson. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A   SERMUN. 


for  the  hearers  would  be  presently  tired  of  such  a  method,  and  by  that 
means  cloyed  of  the  whole.* 


CHAP.  V. 

OF  TEXTS  TO  BE  DISCUSSED  BY  WAY  OF  EXPLICATION. 

I  PROCEED  now  from  general  to  more  particular  rules,  and  will 
endeavour  to  give  some  precepts  for  invention  and  disposition. 

I  suppose,  then,  in  the  first  place,  that  no  man  will  be  so  rash  as 
to  put  pen  to  paper,  or  begin  to  discuss  a  text,  till  he  has  well  com- 
prehended the  sense  of  it.  I  have  given  no  rule  about  this  before  ; 
for  a  man,  who  wants  to  be  told,  that  he  ought  not  to  preach  on  a 
text  before  he  understands  it,  ouwht  at  the  same  time  to  be  informed, 
that  he  is  fitter  for  any  other  profession  than  that  of  a  minister. 

I  suppose,  secondly,  that  the  student,  having  well  understood  the 
sense  of  his  text,  begins  by  dividing  it,  and  that,  having  the  several 
parts  before  his  eyes,  he  very  nearly  sees  what  are  the  subjects,  which 
he  will  have  to  discuss,  and  consequently,  what  ought  to  enter  into 
his  composition. 

I  suppose,  farther,  that  he  is  a  man  not  altogether  a  novice  in  di- 
vinity ;  but  that  he  is  acquainted  with  common  places,  and  the  prin- 
cipal questions,  of  which  they  treat. 

Supposing  all  these,  the  first  thing  that  I  would  have  such  a  man 
do,  is  to  observe  the  nature  of  his  text ;  for  there  are  doctrinal,  his- 
torical, prophetical,  and  typical  texts.  Some  contain  a  command, 
others  a  prohibition  ;  some  a  promise,  others  a  threatening  ;  some  a 
wish,  others  an  exhortation  ;  some  a  censure,  others  a  motive  to  ac- 
tion ;  some  a  parable,  some  a  reason  ;  some  a  comparison  of  two 
things  together,  some  a  vision,  some  a  thanksgiving  ;  some  a  des- 
cription of  the  wrath,  or  majesty  of  God,  of  the  sun,  or  some  other 

*  Powerful  reasoniug  should  be  the  soul  of  all  our  sernioas.  Reasoning' 
in  eloqueuce  is  like  love  in  relig:ion  ;  without  love  you  may  have  the  shadow, 
but  you  cannot  have  the  substance  of  religion. — Without  love  you  are  noth- 
ing;  if  you  have  not  love,  your  virtue  is  only  noise,  it  is  only  as  soundin* 
brass  aud  a  tinkling'  cymbal.  In  like  manner  in  regard  to  eloquence,  speak 
with  authority,  open  all  the  treasures  of  erudition,  give  full  scope  to  a  lively 
and  sublime  imagination,  and  harmonize  your  periods ;  yet  what  will  all  )'our 
discourses  without  reason  be  ?  A  noise,  a  sounding  brass,  a  tinkling  cymbal. 
You  may  confound,  but  you  cannot  convince  ;  you  may  dazzle,  but  you  can- 
not instruct ;  you  may  delight,  but  cannot  hope  to  change,  to  sanctify,  and  to 
transform  your  heeirers.  Saurist 


156  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

thing  ;  a  commendation  of  the  law,  or  of  some  person  ;  a  prayer  ;  as 
amplification  of  joy,  or  affliction  ;  a  pathetic  exclamation  of  anger, 
sorrow,  admiration,  imprecation,  repentance,  confession  of  faith,  pa- 
triarchal or  pastoral  benediction,  consolation,  &c.  I  take  the  great- 
est part  to  be  mixed,  containing  different  kinds  of  things.  It  is  very 
important  for  a  man,  who  would  compose,  to  examine  his  text  well 
upon  these  articles,  and  carefully  to  distinguish  all  its  characters,  for 
in  so  doing  he  will  presently  see  what  way  he  ought  to  take. 

Havincr  well  examined  of  what  kind  the  text  is,  enter  into  the 
matter  and  begin  the  composition  ;  for  which  purpose  you  must  ob- 
serve, there  are  two  general  ways,  or  two  manners  of  composing. 
One  is  the  way  of  explication,  the  other  of  observations ;  nor  must  it 
be  imagined,  that  you  may  take  which  of  the  two  ways  you  please  on 
every  text,  for  some  texts  must  be  treated  in  the  explicatory  method, 
and  others  necessarily  require  the  way  of  observations.  When  you  have 
a  point  o^  doctrine  to  treat  of,  you  must  have  recourse  to  explication, 
and  when  a  text  oUiistory,  the  only  way  is  observation. 

In  discernment  upon  this  article  the  judgement  of  a  man  con- 
sists ;  for  as  texts  of  scripture  are  almost  infinite,  it  is  impossible  to 
give  perfect  rules  thereupon  ;  it  depends  in  general  on  good  sense  ; 
only  this  I  say,  when  we  treat  of  a  plain  subject,  common  and  known 
to  all  the  world,  it  is  a  great  absurdity  to  take  the  way  o^  explication ; 
and  when  we  have  to  treat  of  a  difficult  or  important  subject,  which 
requires  explaining,  it  would  be  equally  ridiculous  to  take  the  way  of 
observations. 

The  difficulty  of  which  we  speak,  may  be  considered,  either  in 
regard  to  the  terms  of  the  text  only,  the  subject  itself  being  clear,  af- 
ter the  words  are  explained ;  or  in  regard  to  the  subject  only,  the 
terms  themselves  being  very  intelligible ;  or  in  regard  to  both  terms 
and  things. 

If  the  terms  be  obscure,  we  must  endeavour  to  give  the  true  sense  : 
but  if  they  be  clear,  it  would  be  trifling  to  affect  to  make  them  so  ; 
and  we  must  pass  on  to  the  difficulty,  which  is  in  the  subject  itself. 
If  the  subject  be  clear,  we  must  explain  the  terms,  and  give  the  true 
sense  of  the  words.  If  there  appear  any  absurdity  or  difficulty  in 
both,  both  musi  be  explained  :  but  always  begin  with  explanation  of 
the  terms. 

In  the  explication  of  the  terms,  first  propose  what  they  call  ratio 
dubitandi,  that  is,  whatever  makes  the  difficulty.  The  reason  of  doubt- 
inof,  or  the  intricacy,  arises  often  from  several  causes.  Either  the 
terms  do  not  seem  to  make  any  sense  at  all ;  or  they  are  equivocal, 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  157 

forming  ditferent  senses  ;  or  the  sense,  which  they  seem  at  first  to 
make,  may  be  perplexed,  improper,  or  contradictory  ;  or  the  meaning, 
though  clear  in  itself,  may  be  controverted,  and  exposed  to  cavillers. 
In  all  these  cases,  after  you  have  proposed  the  difficulty,  determine 
it  as  briefly  as  you  can  ;  for  which  purpose  avail  yourself  of  criticisms, 
notes,  comments,  paraphrases,  &.c.  and,  in  one  word,  of  the  labours 
of  other  persons. 

If  none  of  these  answer  your  expectation,  endeavour  to  find  some- 
thing better  yourself;  to  which  purpose,  examine  all  the  circumstan- 
ces of  the  text,  what  precedes,  what  follows,  the  general  scope  of  the 
discourse,  the  particular  design  of  the  writer  in  the  place  where  your 
text  is,  the  subject  of  which  it  treats,  parallel  passages  of  scripture, 
which  treat  of  the  same  subject,  or  those  in  which  the  same  expres- 
sions are  used,  &c.  and  by  these  means  it  is  almost  impossible,  that 
you  should  not  content  yourself.  Above  all,  take  care  not  to  make 
of  grammatical  matters  a  principal  part:  but  only  treat  of  them  as 
previously  necessary  for  understanding  the  text. 

To  proceed  from  terms  to  things.  They  must,  as  I  have  said,  be 
explained,  when  they  are  either  difficult  or  important.  There  are 
several  ways  of  explication.  You  may  begin  by  refuting  errors,  into 
which  people  have  fallen  ;  or  you  may  fall  upon  the  subject  immedi- 
ately, and  so  come  to  a  fair  and  precise  declaration  of  the  truth,  and 
after  this,  you  may  dilate,  (if  I  may  venture  to  say  so)  by  a  deduction 
of  the  principles,  on  which  the  text  depends,  and  on  the  essential  re- 
lations, in  which  it  ought  to  be  considered. 

The  same  method  must  be  taken,  when  texts  are  misunderstood, 
and  gross  and  pernicious  errors  adduced.  In  such  a  case,  first  reject 
the  erroneous  sense,  and  (if  necessary)  even  refute  it,  as  well  by  rea- 
sons taken  from  the  texts,  as  by  arguments  from  other  topics,  and  at 
length  establish  the  true  sense. 

I  would  advise  the  same  method  for  all  disputed  texts.  Hold  it  as 
a  maxim,  to  begin  to  open  the  way  to  a  truth  by  rejecting  a  falsehood. 
Not  that  it  can  be  always  done  ;  sometimes  you  must  begin  by  ex- 
plaining the  truth,  and  afterwards  reject  the  error  ;  because  there  are 
certain  occasions,  on  which  the  hearers'  minds  must  be  pre-occupied, 
and  because  also  truth,  well  proposed  and  fully  established,  naturally 
destroys  error :  but,  notwithstanding  this,  the  most  approved  method 
is  to  begin  by  rejecting  error.  After  all,  it  must  be  left  to  a  man's 
judgement  when  he  ought  to  take  different  courses. 

There  are  texts  of  explication,  in  which  the  difficulty  arises  nei- 
ther from  equivocal  terms,  nor   from  the  different  senses,  in  which 


158 


AN  USSjAY  ON  THE 


they  may  be  taken,  nor  from  objections,  which  may  be  formed  against 
them,  nor  from  the  abuse,  which  heretics  have  made  of  them  ;  but 
from  the  intricacy  of  the  subject  itself,  which  may  be  difficult  to  com- 
prehend, and  may  require  great  study  and  meditation.  On  such  texts 
you  need  not,  you  must  not  amuse  yourself  in  proposing  difficulties, 
nor  in  making  objections  :  but  you  must  enter  immediately  into  the 
explication  of  the  matter,  and  take  |)articular  care  to  arrange  your 
ideas  well,  that  is  to  say,  in  a  natural  and  easy  order,  beginning  where 
you  ought  to  begin ;  for  if  you  do  not  begin  right,  you  can  do  nothing 
to  the  purjx)se  ;  and  on  the  contrary,  if  you  take  a  right  road,  all  will 
appear  easy  as  you  go  on  to  the  end. 

If,  for  example,  I  were  to  preach  from  this  text,  "  The  law  was 
given  by  Moses  ;  but  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ :"  I  would 
divide  this  text  into  two  parts.  The  first  should  regard  the  ministry 
of  the  law  ;  the  second,  that  of  the  gospel  :  the  one  expressed  in  these 
words,  "  the  law  was  given  by  Moses  ;"  the  other  in  these,  "  Grace 
and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  I  should  subdivide  the  first  into  two 
parts,  the  laiv,  and  its  author,  Moses.* 

I.  The  ministry  of  the  law. 

The  law  may  be  considered  as  a  ministry  of  Rigour,  as  opposed 
to  Grace. 

[Man  knew  neither  himself  nor  his  God —  i 

It  was  necessary  therefore  to  discover  to  him  his  misery,  nnd  his  duty — 
This  was  the  end  which  God  proposed  in  the  ministry  of  the  law — 
The  ministration  of  the  law  was  well  calculated  to  answer  this  endt — ] 

It  may  be  considered  also  as  a  ministry  of  Shadotcs,  as  opposed  to 
Triith. 

[It  held  out  Promises  of  what  was  afterwards  to  be  accomplished^ — 
It  exhibited  in  Tijpes  the  mercies  which  God  had  in  reserve  for  them  — 
It  imparted  the  Beginnings  of  that  salvation,  which  was  to  be  after- 
wards more  largely  bestowed — 
Yet  it  could  only  be  called  "//aw,"  because,  however  the  Grace  of  the 
Gospel  was  blended  with  that  economy,  the  legal  part   was  predomi- 
nant— 

*  Instead  of  the  remarks  on  this  passage,  which  in  Robinson's  Claude  oc- 
cupy forty  six  pages,  Mr.  Simeon's  abridgement  is  here  inserted,  in  the  form  of 
a  regular  scheme. 

t  God  awfully  displayed  his  own  majesty  on  Mount  Sinai ;  and  by  the  per- 
fect law  which  he  promulgated,  He  showed  at  once  what  a  creature  ought  to 
do,  and  what  a  sinner  must  expect.  And  while  by  the  ceremonial  law  he  de- 
clared the  necessity  of  an  Atonement,  he  loaded  the  Israelites  with  an  insup- 
portable yoke  of  ceremonies,  enforcing  the  observance  of  them  by  the  severest 
penalties  ;  and  gave  just  such  a  portion  of  his  Spirit,  as  might  enable  them  to 
see  their  guilt  and  misery,  and  dispose  them  to  receive  the  promised  Messiah. 

1  Gen.  iii.  15.  and  xlix,  10.    Deut.  xviii.  15. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  loD 

The  author  or  dispenser  of  this  law  was  Moses. 

[God  indeed  was  the  first  and  principal  author  of  this  law — 
Moses  was  only  the   Mediator  by  whom  God  dispensed  it — 
Nor  as  a  Mediator  was  He  a  real,  but  only  a  typical  Mediator.]* 

As  the  dispenser  of  it  He  was  greatly  honoured  by  God. 

[He  was  the  Interpreter  of  the  Israelites  to  God,  and  of  God  to  themt — 

He  was  employed  to  show  forth  the  Mighty  Power  of  Jehovah — 

He  was  inspired  to  transmit  in  writing  the  history  of  his  own  nation — ] 

II.  The  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 

"  Grace  and  truth"  are  here  put  for  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ — 

The  Gospel   is   called   Grace,  in  opposition  to  the  Rigours  of  the 

Law. 

[God  manifested  himself  in  it,  not  as  on  Mount  Sinai  with  thunderings, 

but  in  a  gentle  manner^  under  the  veil  of  human  flesh- 
In  it  he  reveals  his  mercy  and  parental  love — 
It  is  his  free  Gift  according  to  his  own  good  Pleasure — 
It  is  accompanied  with  a  Divine  Efficacy  to  the  souls  of  men — 
It  operates  on  us,  not  enthusiastically,  but  in  a  rational  manner — ] 

It  is  called  Truth,  in  opposition  to  Falsehood. 

[It  is  the  accomplishment  of  what  existed  only  in  promises  before — 

It  is  the  substance  of  what  was  before  exhibited  in  types'^ 

It  is  the  complttion  of  what,  under  the  law,  was  only  beguni  — 

The  author  of  this  Gospel  was  Jesus  Christ. 

[He  like  Moses  was  an  Interpreter  between  God  and  men — 
His  Ministry  also,  like  Moses'  was  accompanied  with  miracles — 
He  moreover  caused  his  Gospel  to  be  written  for  a  perpetual  rule — ] 

As  such  He  was  honoured  infinitely  above  Moses. 

[Moses  was  only  the  dispenser  of  the  law,  but  Christ  was  the  Author  of 

Grace  and  Truth — 
Moses  did  not  procure  the  Covenant  of  which  he  was  mediator;  where- 
as the  Covenant  of  Grace   was  given,  not   only  through   Christy  but 
on  his  account — 
Moses  could  only  report  God's   will   to   men  :  but  Jesus  Christ  both  re- 
ported it  to  them,  and  became  a   Guarantee   for  their  performance 
of  it- 
Moses  was  not  the  source.,  nor  even  the  dispenser  of  the  Spirit,  that  ac- 
companied the   legal  economy  ;  but  Christ  communicates  the  Spirit 
out  of  his  own  fulness  ?\\  — 
Moses  wrought  miracles  by  s.  foreign  pov/er  ;  but  Jesus  Christ  by  hit 

own — 
Moses  was  established  over  God''s  house  as  a  servant ;  but  Jesus  Christ 
as  a  Son,  (i.  e.  a  Master,  an  Heir)  over  his  own  house. — ] 

There  are  some  texts,  which  must  be  discussed   by  way  of  expli- 

*  To  prevent  entirely  the  idea  of  his  being  really  the  Mediator  of  the  Cove- 
nant, Divine  Wisdom  has  recorded  his  sins  and  failings  ;  and  it  is  worthy  of 
observation  that  the  Priesthood  was  assigned,  not  to  him,  but  to  his  brother  Aar- 
on ;  and  that  not  he,  but  Joshua,  had  the  honour  of  leading  the  Israelites  into 
Canaan. 

i  Exod.  XX.  19. 

X  Heb.  X.  i.  j  Rom.  viii.  15,  ||  John  i.  16, 


160  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

cation,  although  neither  terms  nor  things  are  difficult ;  but  because 
the  matter  is  important,  and  a  meditation  of  it  beautiful  and  full  of 
edification.  Passages  of  this  kind  must  needs  be  proposed  in  all 
their  extent. 

Take,  for  example,  these  words  of  St.  Paul,  2  Cor.  iv.  7.  "  We 
have  this  treasure  in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  pow- 
er may  be  of  God,  and  not  of  us."* 

*  The  terms  and  subject  are  easy,  yet  on  account  of  the  importauce  of  the 
matter,  the  passa2;e  must  be  extensively  proposed. 

I.  The  apostle's  ;jro/JOj«:7io«,    "•  We  have  this  treasure    in  earthen  vessels.''' 

1,  What  is  the  treasure  ?     It  is  the  gospel  of  Clirist  ;  and  so  called, 
On  account  of  its  icnrlh  and  excellence. 

Because  of  its  abundance. 
For  its  truth  and  reality. 

Because  it  cannot  be  possessed  without  joy,  jealousy,  caution,  &c. 
Because  in  the  context  it  is  called  light,  glory,  knowledge — of  God. 
It  is  deposited  in  the  hands  oi  ministers. 

It  is  a  treasure  in  all  who  enjoy  it ;  but  most  in  ministers ;  especially  a<s 
the  apostles  possessed  it.     In  all  its  extent,  degrees,  and  purity. 
It  is  a  treasure  in  opposition  to  the  false  treasures  of  the  earth. 
It  was  once  hid  in  God's  decrees,  but  is  now  displayed. 

2.  But  this  treasure  is  as  in  earthern  vessels. 

The  passage  probably  alludes  to  Gideon's  pitchers  and  lamps. 

The  word  in  angels  was  in  precious  vessels. 

When  God  revealed  it  himself,  it  was  without  vessels. 

When  God  declared  himself  by  the  sun,  moon,  &c.  it  was  in  vessels  of 
grandeur. 

The  apostles  are  vessels  ;  not  authors  of  the  gospel,  but  instruments. 

They  were  earthen  vessels,  for  the  meayiness  of  their  conditions. 

For  the  affiictions  to  which  they  were  subject. 

In  regard' to  their  ov/n  infirmities. 

Yet  the  apostles  wisely  magnified  their  office  for  their  treasure,  while  they 
humbled,  and  as  it  were,  annihilated  thtmsehes,  calling  themselves  earthen 
vessels, 

II.  The  reason  assij^ned.     "  That  the  excellency  of  the  power,"  fcc. 
1.  The  excellency  of  the  potcer  oithe  gnspel.     This  consists. 

In  the  happy  success  of  the  gospel  in  the  conversion  of  men. 

There  is  a  divine  virtue  in  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  to  humble,  comfort, 
instruct,  exhilarate,  embolden,  &c. 

Miracles  accompanied  the  preaching  of  the  apostles. 

The  ener'4y  of  the  Holy  Ghost  accompanied  the  preaching  of  the  ^o*;;eZ, 
'2.  The  end  that  God  proposed  ;  "■  That  this  power  might  appear /o  be  of  him ^ 
^and  not  of  men." 

Men  are  inclined  to  ascribe  all  effects  to  second  causes. 

Thus  the  Heathen  worshipped  and  served  the  creature  more  than  God  the 
Creator. 

The  Lycaonians  would  fain  have  sacrificed  to  Paul  and  Barnabas. 

The  Jews,  who  should  have  known  better,  were  disposed  to  ascribe  undue 
power  to  Peter  and  .John. 

And  John  himself  was  surprised  by  this  inclination,  when  he  fell  prostrate 
before  the  angel. 

We  see  the  same  spirit  in  the  church  of  Rome. 

God  therefore,  took  this  method,  in  order  to  stem  this  torrent,  and  to  pre- 
clude such  abuses. 

Besides,  their  meanness  contributed  to  display  the  glory  of  the  divine  pow- 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON. 


161 


Observe,  farther,  there  are  two  sorts  of  explications.  The  first  is 
simple  and  plain,  and  needs  only  to  be  proposed,  and  enlivened  with 
clear  and  agreeable  elucidations. 

The  other  kind  of  explications  must  not  only  be  stated  and  ex- 
plained ;  but  they  must  also  be  confirmed  by  sufficient  evidence. 
Sometimes  a  text  speaks  of  a  fact,  which  can  be  confirmed  only  by 
proofs  of  fact ;  sometimes  it  is  a  matter  of  right,  that  must  be  estab- 
lished by  proofs  of  right ;  and  sometimes  it  is  a  subject  made  up  of 
both  fact  and  right,  and  consequently  proofs  of  right,  as  well  as  proofs 
of  fact,  must  be  adduced.     We  will  give  an  example  of  each. 

For  the  first,  take  this  text,  Phil.  ii.  6.  "  Jesus  Christ,  being  in  the 
form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God."  Having 
explained  what  it  is  to  be  in  the/or/re  of  God,  and  to  count  it  not  rob- 
bery to  be  eqval  with  6ro(/,  namely,  that  it  is  to  be  God,  essentially 
equal  with  the  Father,  and  co-eternal  with  him,  &c.  you  must  needs 
make  use  of  proofs  of/«c^  on  this  occasion  ;  for,  every  one  sees,  it  is 
a  fact,  which  it  is  necessary  to  prove,  not  merely  by  the  force  of  St. 
Paul's  terms  ;  but  also  by  many  other  Scripture  proofs,  which  estab- 
lish the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ. 

But  were  you  to  preach  from  the  llth  and  l.ith  verses  of  the 
same  chapter,  "  Do  all  things  without  murmurings,  and  disputings, 
that  ye  may  be  blameless  and  harmless,  the  sons  of  God  without  re- 
buke, in  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  nation,  among  whom 
ye  shine  as  lights  in  the  world  ;  holding  forth  the  word  of  life  ;"  it  is 
evident,  that,  after  you  have  explained  the  vices  which  St.  Paul  for- 
bids, and  the  virtues  which  he  recommends,  the  exhortation  must  be 
confirmed  by  reasons  of  r/^j-Zf^,  which  show  how  unworthy  and  contra- 
ry to  our  calling  these  vices  are  ;  how  much  beauty  and  propriety  in 
the  virtues  enjoined  ;  and  how  strong  our  obligations  are  to  abstain 
from  the  one,  and  to  practise  the  other. 

Our  third  example  includes  proofs  of  both  kinds.  Take  the  sev- 
enth verse  of  the  same  chapter,  "  Jesus  Christ  made  himself  of  no 
reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made 
in  the  likeness  of  men  :"  or  the  Sth  verse,  "  And  being  found  in 
fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and  became  obedient  to  the 
death  of  the  cross :"  or  the  9th  verse,  which  speaks  of  Christ's  exalta- 

Neverdid  the  power  of  Jesus  Christ  appear  more,  than  when  he  subjugat- 
ed principalities  and  powers,  and  triumphed  over  them  by  the  ministry  of  the 
cross.  These  earthen  vessels  triumphed  over  the  whole  world  with  the  sound 
of  their  voice.  Idols  fell;  temples  were  demolished;  oracles  were  struck 
dumb  ;  the  people  flocked  in  crowds  to  adore  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  not  enough 
to  say,  "•  This  is  the,/i7iger  o/ Gorf  ;"  we  must  rather  exclaim,  "This  is  the 
out-stretched  arm  o/ /Ae  Lord.''''  Claude, 

21 


162  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

tion.  Having  explained  the  subject,  you  must  endeavour  to  confirm 
it,  not  only  by  proofs  of  fact,  but  also  by  proofs  of  right ;  to  which 
purpose  you  must  prove,  1.  That  the  fact  is,  as  St.  Paul  says.  And 
2.  That  it  ought  to  be,  as  it  is,  by  reasons  taken  from  the  wisdom  of 
God,  &c. 

In  like  manner  in  discussing  this  text:  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth 
he  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth ;"  after 
you  have  proposed  in  a  few  words  the  apostle's  doctrine,  it  ought  to 
be  confirmed,  as  well  by  proofs  of  fact,  which  make  it  plain,  that  God 
has  always  been  pleased  to  observe  this  method,  as  by  proofs  of  right, 
which  show  that  he  does  thus  with  a  great  deal  of  wisdom.  You  will 
meet  with  an  almost  infinite  number  of  texts  of  this  nature. 

There  are  sometimes  texts  of  explication,  in  which  we  are  obliged 
to  explain  some  one  great  and  important  article  consisting  of  many 
branches.  As  for  example,  predestination;  and  efficacious  convert- 
ing grace.  In  this  case  you  may  either  reduce  the  matter  to  a  cer- 
tain number  of  propositions,  and  discuss  them  one  after  anotlier  ;  or 
you  may  reduce  them  to  a  certain  number  of  questions,  and  discuss 
them  in  like  manner:  but  you  ought  (choose  which  way  you  will)  to 
take  particular  care  not  to  lay  down  any  proposition,  or  any  question, 
which  is  not  formally  contained  in  your  text,  or  which  does  not  follow 
by  a  near  and  easy  consequence;  for  otherwise  you  would  discuss 
the  matter  in  a  common-place  way. 

For  example.  "  It  is  God,  who  worketh  effectually  in  you  both 
to  will  and  to  do  of  his  own  good  pleasure."* 

Above  all,  take  care  to  arrange  your  propositions  well,  when  you 
take  this  method.  Place  the  most  general  first,  and  follow  the  order 
of  your  knowledge,  so  that  the  first  propositions  may  serve  as  steps  to 
the  second,  the  second  to  the  third,  and  so  of  the  rest.t 

Sometimes,  what  you  have  to  explain  in  a  text  will  consist  of  one 

*  The  thing  to  be  explained  is,  the  operation  of  divine  grace  ;  and  it  is 
to  be  explained  in  an  immediate  reference  to  the  text.  It  miorht  be  said  then, 
that  its  operation  is  sot^ereign,  ralinnnl,  efficacious.  It  is  sovereign,  the  result 
of  "  God's  good  pleasure,"  since  man  has  not  so  much  as  a  disposition  to  do 
good,  till  God  has  given  it  him  ;  and  therefore  ran  have  nothing  in  himself 
that  can  induce  God  to  give  it  him.  It  is  rational;  for  God  influences  us  to 
action,  not  as  mere  machines,  but  by  illuminating  our  understanding,  and  in- 
clining our  "•  will  "  It  is  efficacious  ;  for  if  he  work  in  us  "  to  will,"  he  will 
surely  work  in  us  "to  do;"  nor,  however  separate,  in  idea,  volition  and  ac- 
tion may  be,  shall  they  ever  be  separated  in  his  people's  experience. 

This  would  include  the  princi))al  observations  of  Mr.  Claude,  and  render 
them  both  more  intelligible,  and  more  easy  to  bt  remembered.  Simeon. 

t  Arrange  your  propositions  well.  Nothing  elucidates  a  subject  more 
than  a  conformity  to  this  rule.  Cicero's  three  words  are  well  known,  fl^/e, 
distincle,  ornate. 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  163 

or  more  simple  terms  ;  sometimes  in  certain  ways  of  speaking  peculiar 
to  Scripture,  or  at  least  of  such  great  importance,  that  they  will  de- 
serve to  be  particularly  weighed  and  explained ;  sometimes  in  parti- 
cles which  they  call  syncategorematica  ;  and  sometimes  in  proposi- 
tions. For  example,  simple  terms,  are  the  divine  attributes,  goodness, 
mercy,  wisdom,  &-c.  The  virtues  of  men,  faith,  hope,  love,  &c. 
Their  vices  and  passions,  ambition,  avarice,  vengeance,  wrath,  &c. 
In  short,  simple  terms  are  single  words,  and  they  are  either  proper,  or 
figurative.  In  order  to  explain  figurative  words,  you  must  give  the 
meaning  of  the  figure  in  a  i'ew  words;  and  without  stopping  long 
upon  the  figure,  pass  to  the  thing  itself.  And  in  general  observe  this 
rule  :  never  insist  long  on  a  simple  term,  unless  it  be  absolutely  necessa- 
ry ;  for  to  aim  at  exhausting,  (as  it  were)  and  saying  all,  that  can  be 
said,  on  a  single  word,  is  imprudent  in  a  preacher,  especially  when 
there  are  many  important  matters  in  the  text  to  be  explained.  Should 
any  one  (for  example)  in  explaining  these  words  of  Isaiah  :  "  His 
name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  the  Ev- 
erlasting Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace,"  should  a  preacher,  I  say,  in- 
sist on  each  term,  and  endeavour  to  exhaust  each  word,  he  would 
handle  the  text  in  a  common-place  way,  and  quite  tire  the  hearer. 
You  ought  then,  in  discussing  such  passages,  to  select  the  most  obvi- 
ous articles,  and  to  enlarge  principally  on  essential  remarks. 

Sometimes  there  are  simple  terms,  of  which  you  must  only  take 
notice  cursorily,  and  en  passant,  as  it  were,  just  as  they  relate  to  the 
intention  of  the  sacred  author.  For  example,  in  St.  Paul's  ordinary 
salutations,  "  Grace  be  to  you,  and  peace  from  God  our  Father,  and 
from  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  it  must  not  be  imagined,  that  each  of  the 
terms  or  phrases  is  to  be  considered  ex  professo,  either  grace,  or  peace, 
or  God  the  Father,  or  Jesus  Christ:  but  the  whole  text  is  to  be  consid- 
ered as  di  salutation,  a  benediction,  an  introduction  to  the  epistle,  and 
in  these  views  make  necessary  remarks  on  the  terms.  In  one  word, 
take  care  to  explain  simple  terms  as  much  as  possible  in  relation  to  the 
present  design  of  the  sacred  author,  and  to  the  circumstances  of  the 
text;  for  by  these  means  you  will  avoid  common-places,  and  say  prop- 
er and  agreeable  things. 

Sometimes  you  will  meet  with  texts,  the  simple  terms  of  which  must 
be  discussed  professedly ;  and  in  order  to  give  a  clear  and  full  view  of 
the  subject,  you  must  give  a  clear  and  distinct  idea  of  the  terms. 

When  there  are  many  simple  terms  in  a  text,  you  must  consider, 
whether  it  would  not  be  more  proper  to  treat  of  them  comparatively 
with  each  other,  than  to  discuss  them  separately  or  each  apart ;  for 
sometimes  it  would  be  very  injudicious  to  discuss  them  separately,  and 


164 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 


Tery  agieable  to  do  it  by  comparison.  Take  for  example  St.  Luke's 
words,  chap.  ii.  8,  9,  10,  II.  "  And  there  were  in  the  same  country 
shepherds  abiding  in  the  fields,  keeping  watch  over  their  flocks  by 
night.  And  lo  !  The  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  them,  and  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round  about  them  ;  and  they  were  sore 
afraid.  And  the  angel  said  unto  them,  Fear  not;  for  behold  !  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For 
unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour,  which  is 
Christ  the  Lord."  In  my  opinion  it  would  be  very  absurd  to  pretend 
to  treat  separately  these  simple  terms,  in  order  to  explain  what  is  a 
shepherd,  and  what  is  an  angel,  «fcc.  But  a  cowpanson  of  these  terms 
with  each  other  would  afford  very  beautiful  and  agreeable  considera- 
tions, as  will  appear  by  the  following  analysis  of  the  text.  Let  it 
then  be  divided  into  two  parts  ;  let  the  first  be  the  appearance  of  the 
angels  to  the  shepherds  with  all  the  circumstances,  which  the  history 
remarks:  and  the  second,  the  angel's  message  to  them.  The  first  is 
contained  in  the  eighth  and  ninth  verses,  and  the  second  in  the  tenth 
and  eleventh. 

As  to  the  first,  you  may  remark,  that  this  meeting  of  the  angel 
and  shepherds  was  not  accidental  or  by  chance,  but  by  the  order  of 
the  providence  of  God,  who  there  placed  the  shepherds,  and  thither 
sent  his  angel.     You  may  amplify  this  by  showing, 

1 .  That  God  causes  his  grace  to  descend  not  only  npon  the  great 
and  powerful  of  the  world,  but  also  on  the  most  simple  and  inconsid- 
erable. 

2.  That  it  seems  as  if  he  took  more  pleasure  in  bestowing  his  fa- 
vours on  the  most  abject,  than  in  distributing  them  among  persons  of 
elevated  rank.  Matt.  xi.  25.  1  Cor.  i.  20.  For  while  he  sent  the 
wise  men  of  the  East  to  Herod,  he  sent  an  angel  of  heaven  to  the 
shepherds,  and  conducted  them  to  the  cradle  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
world. 

3.  That  in  this  meeting  of  the  angels  and  shepherds,  there  is  a 
character  of  the  economy  of  Jesus  Christ,  wherein  the  highest  and 
most  sublime  things  are  joined  with  the  meanest  and  lowest.  In  his 
person  the  eternal  word  is  united  to  a  creature,  the  divine  nature  to 
the  human,  the  Lord  of  Glory  to  mean  flesh  and  blood.  In  his  bap- 
tism he  is  plunged  in  the  water,  and  the  Father  speaks  to  him  from 
heaven  ;  he  is  under  the  hand  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  descends  upon  him.  In  his  temptation  he  hungers,  yet  mirac- 
ulously supports  a  fast  of  forty  days  :  the  devil  tempts  him  and  angels 
obey  him.    On  his  cross,  naked,  crowned  with  thorns,  and  exposed  to 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON. 


165 


sorrows,  yet  at  the  same  time  shaking  the  earth  and  eclipsing  the  sun. 
Here  in  like  manner  angels  are  familiar  with  shepherds :  angels  to 
mark  his  majesty,  shepherds  his  humility  ;  angels,  because  he  is  Cre- 
ator and  master  of  all  things;  shepherds,  because  he  made  himself 
of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant. 

After  this  you  may  make  a  proper  reflection  on  the  time  mention- 
ed by  St.  Liike,  who  says,  "  The^hepherds  were  abiding  in  the  field, 
keeping  watch  over  their  flock  bf  night."  You  may  observe  that  while 
these  shepherds  were  busy  in  their  calling,  God  sent  his  angel  to 
them  ;  and  that,  however  simple  and  mean  the  employments  of  men 
may  be,  it  is  always  very  pleasing  to  God  when  they  discharge  them 
with  a  good  conscience  : 

Remark  a  second  circumstance ;  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shining 
around  the  shepherds.     Here  you  may  observe  ; 

That  when  angels  borrow  human  forms  to  appear  to  men,  {as  it  is 
likely  this  angel  did,  when  he  appeared  to  the  shepherds)  they  have 
always  appeared  with  ensigns  of  grandeur  and  majesty,  to  show  that 
they  were  not  men  but  angels,  that  is  to  say,  beings  of  a  superior  or- 
der. Thus  the  angels,  who  appeared  at  Christ's  resurrection,  were 
clothed  with  shining  garments ;  and  so  were  they,  who  appeared  to 
the  disciples  after  his  ascension.  Here  the  angel  is  accompanied 
with  a  great  Ught  shining  around  the  shepherds. 

The  third  remarkable  circumstance  in  the  text,  is  the  great  fear 
with  which  the  shepherds  were  seized. 

1.  This  was  an  effect  of  their  gxe?ii  surprise.  When  grand  ob- 
jects suddenly  present  themselves  to  us,  they  must  needs  fill  us  with 
astonishment  and  fear. 

2.  This  fear  arose  perhaps  from  emotions  of  conscience.  Man  iS 
by  nature  a  sinner,  and  consequently  an  object  of  the  justice  and 
vengeance  of  God  ;  when  therefore,  any  thing  extraordinary  and  di- 
vine appears  to  him,  he  necessarily  trembles.  This  may  be  exem- 
plified by  Adam,  who,  having  sinned,  fled,  and,  the  moment  he  heard 
the  voice  of  God,  hid  himself;  or  by  the  Israelites,  who  were  terri- 
fied, when  God  appeared  to  them  upon  the  mountain  ;  and  hence  that 
proverbial  saying  among  them,  we  shall  die,  for  toe  have  seen  God. 

But,  as  the  thoughts  of  God  are  far  different  from  the  thoughts  of 
men,  these  poor  shepherds  did  not  remain  in  this  state  :  but  joy  pres- 
ently succeeded  their  fear.  Fear  not,  said  the  Angel,  behold!  I  bring 
you  glad  tidings.  Agreeable  surprise  !  far  diflferent  from  what  will 
befal  sinners  at  the  last  day  ;  for  when  they  cry,  Peace,  peace  ;  then 
sudden  destruction  shall  come  upon  them  :  but  here,  when  the  shep- 


166  AN  ESSEY  ON  THE 

herds  trembled,  when  they  were  seized  with  a  dreadful  horror,  which 
made  them  apprehend  all  danger,  forth  issues  the  greatest  of  all  joys, 
the  most  affecting  of  all  consolations,  the  news  of  the  birth  of  the  Sa- 
viour of  the  world. 

Proceed  now  to  the  second  part  of  the  text ;  the  Angel's  discourse 
to  the  shepherds.     And  observe, 

1.  The  Angel  says  to  them,  F^r  not.  He  uses  this  preface  to 
gain  their  attention,  which  fear  (no  doubt)  had  almost  entirely  dis- 
sipated. 

After  this  preface,  the  Angel  acquits  himself  of  his  commission, 
and  announces  to  the  shepherds  the  great  and  mysterious  news  of  the 
Redeemer's  birth.  "  Behold  !"  says  he,  "  I  bring  you  glad  tidings  of 
great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people  ;  for  unto  you  is  born  this  day 
in  the  city  of  David,  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord."  Remark 
in  the  front  of  his  message  the  word  behold,  which  is  generally  used 
in  scripture  to  denote  the  greatness  and  importance  of  the  subject  in 
question,  and  to  gain  attention.  The  prophets  had  often  used  it.  Isa- 
iah on  a  like  account  had  said,  Behold!  a  virgin  shall  conceive. 
Zechariah  had  cried,  Daughter  of  Zion,  Behold!  thy  king  cometh, 
just,  and  having  salvation.  Malachi  had  said,  Behold! — the  Lord, 
whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple.  It  is  easy  to  re- 
mark, that  the  angel  could  never  more  properly  use  this  word  than 
on  this  occasion.  Do  you  doubt  of  it  1  Hear  his  message.  /  bring _ 
you,  says  he  to  them,  glad  tidings  of  great  joy. 

In  order  to  examine  the  words  properly,  you  must  begin  with  the 
Angel's  description  of  the  person,  of  whom  he  speaks  ;  a  Saviotir, 
Christ  tmFLord.  Then  pass  to  what  he  says  about  him  ;  he  is  born 
unto  ?/0M,  says  he.  He  marks  the  time;  this-elay.  He  describes  the 
place;  in  the  city  of  David.  And,  in  fine*,  Iwspecif^s-the  nature  of 
this  important  news  ;  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all<fcople. 

Having  considered  his  titles  in  general,  and  each  apart,  you  may 
proceed  to  consider  them  in  a  comparative  view.  This  comparison 
may  be  of  the  words  with  each  other,  or  with  the  other  parts  of  the 
text,  or  with  the  words  w)[\\Q,\i  follow  the  text. 

In  i\ie  first  view,  you  may  say,  that  the  Angel  intended  primarily 
to  give  the  shepherds  an  idea  of  the  benefits,  which  they  might  ex- 
pect of  the  Messiah,  and  for  this  reason  began  with  the  title  Saviour, 
in  order  to  affect  them  with  their  own  interest,  and  indeed  with  the 
greatest  of  all  interests.  Afterwards,  to  confirm  their  hope  upon  that 
point,  he  rises  to  the  source  of  this  salvation,  the  mercy  of  God,  who 
bestowed  it  on  them  ;  tljerefore  he  says,  the  Saviour  is  Christ,  that 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  167 

is,  the  promised  Messiah,  In  fine,  in  order  to  convince  them  with 
what  profound  respect  men  ought  to  receive  him,  he  adds,  that  he  is 
the  sovereign  Lord.  In  the  title  Saviour,  he  shows  the  f'/i^  of  Christ's 
coming  into  the  world.  In  that  of  Christ,  the  righi,  which  he  had  to 
undertake  so  great  a  work,  which  was  the  Father's  mission,  who  for 
that  purpose  had  anointed  him.  And  in  that  of  Lord,  he  marks  the 
sovereign  j^o^^;cr,  with  which  he  should  happily  execute  the  office,  that 
the  Father  had  committed  to  him. 

In  comparing  these  three  titles  with  the  other  parts  of  the  text, 
you  may  show,  that  the  Angel  calls  him  a  Saviour,  to  justify  that 
great  joy,  lohich,  says  he,  /  bring  you.  That  he  calls  him  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  the  promised  Messiah,  with  relation  to  his  birth  in 
the  city  of  David.  And  that  he  calls  him  Lord,  to  render,  in  some 
sort,  a  reason  for  an  angel's  coming  with  the  glad  tidings;  as  if  he 
had  said,  I  bring  you  the  glad  tidings,  because  he  is  Lord  o^  all,  both 
yours  and  ours. 

In  comparing  the  words  with  what  follows,  you  may  observe,  that 
the  Angel  calls  him  a  Saviour,  Christ,  the  Lord,  in  order  to  guard 
the  shepherds  against  their  being  offended  at  what  he  was  about  to 
tell  them,  that  they  should  fiud  him  a  babe,  wrapt  in  swaddling 
clothes,  lying  in  a  manger.  As  if  he  had  said,  let  not  these  sad  ap- 
pearances offend  you  ;  he  whom  you  will  find  an  infant,  in  swaddlincr 
clothes,  and  in  a  manger,  is  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  the  true 
anointed  of  God,  and  the  Lord  of  the  whole  universe. 

This  Saviour,  this  Christ,  this  Lord,  says  the  Angel,  is  born  unto 
you. 

Here  you  may  commence  a  lively  exhortation  to  joy,  the  motives 
to  which  may  be  taken  from  the  terms  of  the  text ;  that  there  is  a  Sa- 
viour ;  that  he  is  Christ ;  that  he  is  the  Lord;  that  after  beinor  so 
long  expected,  at  length  he  came  ;  that  he  was  born  for  us ;  that  we 
have  an  interest  in  him  above  angels  ;  that  he  has  testified  his  love  to 
us  by  submitting  to  sinless  infirmities ;  you  may  compare  his  first 
with  his  last  advent,  and  dispose  your  auditors  to  iee\  a  still  greater 
joy  in  expectation  of  his  coping  to  raise  them  from  the  dead,  and 
putting  the  last  hand  to  the  work  of  our  redemption ;  then  will  he  ap- 
pear a  Saviour  indeed,  for  he  will  complete  the  Salvation  of  the  faith- 
ful. Tl^en  will  he  appear  a  Christ  indeed,  for  he  will  finish  the  de- 
sign of  his  unction,  and  will  make  us  kings  and  priests  to  God  his 
Father.  Then  will  he  appear  Lord  indeed,  for  all  things  shall  be 
subjected  to  him,  he  will  triumph  over  our  enemies,  he  will  swallow 


% 


168  '  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

up  death  in  victory,  and  he  will  elevate  us  to  the  possession  of  eternal 
glory.* 

Having  spoken  of  simple  terms,  I  proceed  to  add  something  con- 
cerning expressions  peculiar  to  scripture.  These  deserve  a  particular 
explication,  and  should  be  discussed  and  urged  with  great  diligence, 
as  well,  because  they  are  peculiar  modes  of  speaking,  as  because 
they  are  rich  with  meaning.  In  this  class  I  put  such  forms  of  speak- 
ing as  these.  "  To  be  in  Christ  Jesus.  To  come  to  Jesus  Christ. 
To  come  after  Jesus  Christ.  To  live  in  the  flesh.  To  live  after  the 
flesh.  From  faith  to  faith.  From  glory  to  glory.  To  walk  after  the 
flesh.  To  walk  after  the  spirit.  The  old  man.  The  new  man. 
Jesus  Christ  lives  in  you.  To  live  to  Jesus  Christ.  To  live  to  our- 
selves. To  die  to  the  world.  To  die  to  ourselves.  To  be  crucified 
to  the  world.  The  world  to  be  crucified  to  us.  Jesus  Christ  made 
sin  for  us,  we  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him.  Christ  put  to 
death  in  the  flesh,  quickened  by  the  Spirit.  Die  unto  sin.  Live  unto 
righteousness.  Quench  the  Spirit.  Grieve  the  Spirit.  Resist  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost."  And  I  know  not  how 
many  more  such  expressions,  which  are  found  almost  nowhere  but 
in  scripture.  Whenever  you  meet  with  such  forms  of  speech  as  these, 
you  must  not  pass  them  over  lightly,  but  you  must  fully  explain  them, 
entering  well  into  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  them.  It  would  be  very 
convenient  for  a  young  man  to  procure  for  this  purpose  an  exact  col- 
lection, and  endeavour  to  inform  himself  of  the  sense  of  each. 

This  subject  would  require,  as  it  well  deserves,  a  particular  trea- 
tise ;  however,  I  will  briefly  give  an  example  of  the  manner,  in  which 
expressions  of  this  kind  should  be  discussed.  Let  us  take  these  words. 
Mark  viii.  34.  "  Whosoever  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  him- 
self, and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me."  Methinks  it  would  not 
be  improper  to  divide  the  sermon  into  two  parts.  In  the  first  we 
would  treat  of  the  expressions,  which  Jesus  uses,  Come  after  me — deny 
himself — take  tip  his  cross — and  follow  me. — And  in  the  second,  we 
would  examine  the  entire  sense  of  our  Saviour's  whole  proposition. 

To  begin  then  with  the  explication  of  these  expressions.  To 
come  after  Jesus  Christ  signifies  no  other  thing  than  to  be  his  disci- 
ples, to  take  him  for  the  rule  and  model  of  our  conduct,  in  a  word,  to 
profess  an  acknowledgement  of  him  as  our  head  and  master,  our  su- 
preme prophet  and  teacher,  our  pattern  and  exemplar. 

*  This  discourse  was  very  long  and  tedious,  jlll  that  could  elucidate  the 
treating  of  texts  by  comparfson  is  retaiutd ;  but  that,  which  tended  only  to 
distract  the  mind,  is  expunged. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  169 

Deny  himself  is  an  expression  so  singular,  that  it  seems  to  shock 
reason  and  nature,  and  to  suppose  a  thing  difficult,  yea,  absolutely 
impossible,  or  at  least  extremely  criminal.  Yet,  it  is  certain,  noth- 
ing can  be  more  holy,  nothing  more  necessary,  nothing  more  just, 
than  this  self-renunciation,  which  Jesus  Christ  here  ordains.  He 
does  not  mean,  that  we  should  divide  ourselves  from  ourselves,  or 
that  we  should  hate  ourselves;  but  he  intends, 

1.  In  general,  that  we  should  renounce  all  that  is  in  us  excessive, 
vicious  and  irregular  ;  this  he  calls  self,  because  corruption  is  become, 
as  it  were,  natural  to  us,  we  being  conceived  in  sin,  and  shapen  in  in- 
iquity. 

2.  He  commands  us  particularly  to  renounce  that  violent,  immod- 
erate, and  excessive  love,  which  man  in  a  state  of  depravity  has  for 
himself,  making  self-love  his  chief  and  only  principle  of  action,  in  one 
word,  being  a  god  to  himself 

3.  He  enjoins  the  renunciation  of  that  false  and  ^er\exse  pretence, 
which  all  sinners  have,  that  they  are  their  own  masters,  that  no  one 
has  a  right  over  them,  that  to  themselves  only  belongs  the  disposition 
of  words,  actions,  and  thoughts.  The  Saviour  means,  that,  renoun- 
cing this  unjust  and  foolish  pretence,  we  should  submit  ourselves  to 
the  government  and  direction  of  God,  confiding  in  the  conduct  of  his 
wisdom,  and  receiving  him  to  reign  in  our  hearts  by  his  word  and 
Spirit. 

Take  vp  his  cross,  is  an  expression  consecrated  by  Jesus  Christ  to 
a  sacred  purpose,  though  it  does  not  belong  only  to  scripture  style. 
Here  two  things  are  intended  by  it.  The  mystical  cross  of  conversion, 
and  the  cross  of  afflictions. 

1.  Conversion  is  called  in  scripture  a  cross ;  because  sin  and  car- 
nal lusts  are  made  to  die  within  our  hearts  ;  this  the  scripture  calls 
crucifying  the  old  man. 

2.  Afflictions  are  justly  called  crosses,  not  only  because  nature 
suffers,  but  also  because  by  these  means  we  become  the  horror  and 
reproach  of  the  world. 

Finally,  to  follow  Jesus  Christ,  is,  1.  To  become  his  disciple,  to 
believe  his  doctrine,  to  approve  his  maxims,  to  be  persuaded  of  the 
truth  of  his  mysteries,  and  holiness  of  his  laws. 

2.  To  follow  is  to  imitate  him,  to  propose  him  as  our  exemplar 
and  pattern  in  the  whole  conduct  of  our  lives,  to  walk  in  the  same 
way  as  he  walked,  in  order   to  obtain  communion  with  him  in  glory. 

3.  To />ro/ess  opcn/y  our  subjection  to  him,   as  our  Master  and 

22 


170 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THL 


Lord,  to  obey  his  orders,  &c.     In  a  word,  to  follow  is  the  same  as  to 
come  after  him,  which  we  just  now  explained. 

This  is  the  first  part.  The  second  consists  in  considering  the 
entire  sense  of  Jesus  Christ's  whole  proposition.  He  means,  then, 
that,  if  we  would  be  really  of  the  number  of  his  disciples  and  follow- 
ers, we  must  submit  to  two  things,  sanctification  and  affliction. 

1.  Sanctification.  Here  enter  into  the  subject,  and  show  how  im- 
possible it  is  to  belong  to  Jesus  Christ  without  forsaking  sin,  and  en- 
tirely changing  the  life.  "  The  grace  of  God,  that  bringeth  salvation, 
hath  appeared  to  all  men  ;  teaching  us,  that  denying  ungodliness,  and 
worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this 
present  world,  looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appear- 
ing of  the  great  God,  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

These  are  St.  Paul's  words  to  Titus,  and  three  things  may  be  re- 
marked in  them,  grace,  holiness,  and  glory.  And  you  may  easily  ob- 
serve, that  grace  conducts  to  glory,  only  by  means  of  holiness  :  take 
away  holiness,  and  grace  and  glory  can  never  be  joined  together.  The 
apostle  therefore  does  not  say,  '  The  Grace  of  God  hath  appeared  to 
all  men,  teaching  us  to  look  for  the  glorious  appearing  of  Jesus 
Christ ;'  but,  he  says,  "  The  grace  of  God  hath  appeared  to  all  men, 
teaching  us  to  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  to  live  soberly, 
righteously,  and  godly,  in  this  present  world  ;"  and  so  to  be  looking 
for  that  blessed  hope,  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  Grace  indeed  ends  in  glory ;  but  it  can  only 
do  so  by  the  intervention  of  holiness. 

You  may  also  allege.,  to  the  same  purpose,  the  end  of  Jesus  Christ's 
coming  into  the  world,  which  was  not  only  to  destroy  sin,  as  it  sub- 
jected us  to  eternal  punishment,  but  as  sin.  You  may  finally  show, 
how  much  it  is  for  the  glory  of  the  Father,  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
for  the  reality  and  plenitude  of  salvation,  that  the  disciples  of  Jesus 
should  be  sanctified. 

2.  Afiliction.  Two  things  here  must  be  discussed.  I.  The  truth 
of  the/ac/,  that  true  believers  are  exposed  to  afflictions  in  this  world. 
2.  The  reasons  why  the  divine  wisdom  subjects  believers  to  these 
trials. 

1.  The  trvth  of  the  fact  results  1.  from  the  examples  of  all  the 
great  servants  of  God  who  have  appeared  in  the  world  to  this  day :  as 
Noah,  Abraham,  Lot,  Moses,  St.  Paul,  and  all  the  other  apostles  of 
Jesus  Chris|,  2.  From  the  7ohole  history  of  the  church,  which  was 
always  nourished  and  increased  in  afflictions.  This  may  be  illustrat- 
ed by  the  burnmg  bush,  which  appeared   to  Moses  ;  or  by  the  ship. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  171 

into  which  Jesus  and  his  apostles  went^  tossed   with   waves,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  violence  of  winds  and  storms. 

2.  The  reasons  for  this  dispensation  of  divine  providence  may  be 
taken  from  a  common-place  of  afflictions,  as,  by  means  of  afflictions 
God  restrains  our  impetuous  passions,  exercises  our  virtues,  detaches  us 
from  the  icorld^  elevates  us  to  the  hope  of  a  better  life,  and  displays  the 
glory  o/'that  admirable  proyirfencc,  which  governs  us.  Afflictions  al- 
so are  particular  honours,  which  God  confers  on  us,  by  them  enabling 
us  to  walk  in  the  steps  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  conforming  us  by  them 
to  our  divine  leader.  For  these  reasons,  and  many  more  of  the  same 
kind,  we  may  fairly  conclude,  that  with  profound  wisdom  Jesus  Ciirist 
has  called  us  to  affliction,  and  joined  the  cross  to  the  profession  of 
true  Christianity.* 

We  have  before  observed,  that,  beside  simple  terms,  and  singular 
expressions  peculiar  to  scripture,  there  are  also  sometimes  in  texts, 
particles  that  are  called  syncategorematica,  which  serve  either  for  the 
augmentation  or  limitation  of  the  meaning  of  the  proposition.  As 
the  word  so  in  John  iii.  16.  "  God  so  loved  the  world."  The  word 
now  in  the  viii.  of  Romans.  "  There  is  therefore  now  no  condemna- 
tion to  them,  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus  ;" — and  in  many  more  passa- 
ges of  the  same  kind. 

Whenever  you  meet  with  these  terms,  carefully  examine  them  ; 
for  sometimes  the  greatest  part,  and  very  often  the  whole  of  the  ex- 
plication, depends  upon  them,  as  we  have  already  remarked  on  that 
passage  just  now  mentioned,  "  God  so  loved  the  world :"  for  the  chief 
article,  in  the  doctrine  of  the  love  of  God,  is  its  greatness,  expressed 
by  the  word  so.  It  is  the  same  with  that  other  term  noio,  "  there  is 
therefore  ?iow  no  condemnation  to  them,  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus  ;" 
for  the  word  now  shows,  that  it  is  a  conclusion  drawn  from  the  doc- 
trine of  justification,  which  the  apostle  had  taught  in  the  preceding 
chapters,  and  it  is  as  if  he  had  said,  From  the  principles,  which  I 
have  established,  it  follows,  that  there  is  now  no  condemnation,  &.c. 
Having  then  explained,  1.  What  it  is  to  be  in  Christ  Jesus.  2.  What 
it  is  to  be  "  no  more  subject  to  condemnation,"  chiefly  insist,  in  the 
third  place,  on  the  word  now ;  and  show,  that  it  is  a  doctrine,  whichi 
necessarily  follows  from  what  St.  Paul  had  established  touching  jus-1 
tification  in  the  foregoing  chapters ;  so  that  this  term  makes  a  real! 
part  of  the  explication,  and  indeed  the  most  important  part. 

Sometimes  these  terms  in  question  are  not  of  consequence  enough 


*  This  is  somewhat  abridged,  for  the  same  reason  as  the  foregoing. 


I  73  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

to  be  much  dwelt  on  :  but  may  be  more  properly  passed  with  a  slight 
remark.  The  word  Behold,  with  which  many  propositions  in  scrip- 
ture begin,  must  be  treated  so  ;  you  must  not  make  one  part  of  this, 
nor  insist  on  it  too  long.  The  same  may  be  said  of  that  familiar  ex- 
pression of  Jesus  Christ,  Verily,  Verily,  which  is  an  asseveration,  or, 
if  you  will,  an  oath:  but  neither  on  this  must  you  insist  much.  So 
again,  Amen,  or  so  be  it,  which  closes  some  texts.  Woe  he  to  you, 
which  Jesus  Christ  often  repeats  in  the  gospel,  with  many  more  of 
the  same  kind.  I  know  no  certain  rule  to  distinguish  when  they  are 
important :  but  it  must  be  left  to  the  preacher's  taste ;  and  a  little  at- 
tention will  make  the  necessary  discernment  very  easy. 

When  the  matter  to  be  explained  in  a  text  consists  of  a  proposi- 
tion, you  must,  1.  Give  the  sense  clearly  and  neatly,  taking  care  to  de- 
velope  it  of  all  sorts  of  ambiguity. 

2.  If  it  be  requisite,  show  how  important  in  religion  it  is  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  the  truth  in  hand  ;  and  for  this  purpose  open  its  con- 
nexion with  other  important  truths  ;  and  its  dependence  on  them  ; 
the  inconveniences,  that  arise  from  negligence  ;  the  advantageous 
succours,  which  piety  derives  thence,  with  other  things  of  the  same 
nature. 

3.  Having  placed  it  in  a  clear  light,  and  shown  its  importance,  if 
it  require  confirmation,  confirm  it.  In  all  cases  endeavour  to  illus- 
trate either  by  reasons,  or  examples,  or  comparisons,  of  the  subjects 
with  each  other,  or  by  remarking  their  relation  to  each  other,  or  by 
showing  their  conformities,  or  differences,  all  with  a  view  to  illustrate 
the  matter  that  you  are  discussing.  You  may  also  illustrate  a  pro- 
position by  its  consequences,  by  showing  how  many  important  inferen- 
ces are  included  in  it,  and  flow  from  it. 

In  fine,  you  may  illustrate  by  the  person,  who  proposes  the  sub- 
ject;  by  the  AYa/e,  in  which  he  was,  when  he  proposed  it;  by  the 
persons,  to  whom  it  is  proposed ;  by  circumstances  of  time,  and  place, 
&,c.  All  these  may  give  great  openings  ;  but  they  must  be  judicious- 
ly and  discreetly  used  ;  for  to  attempt  to  make  an  assemblage  of  all 
these  in  the  discussion  of  one  proposition,  would  be  trifling,  endless, 
and  pedantic. 

Sometimes  one  single  proposition  includes  many  truths,  which  it 
will  be  necessary  to  distinguish  :  but,  in  doing  this,  take  care  that 
each  truth,  on  which  you  intend  to  insist,  be  of  some  importance  in 
religion,  not  too  common,  nor  too  much  known.  This  your  own  good 
sense  must  discern. 

Sometimes  one  proposition  must  be  discussed  in  the  different  views, 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  173 

in  which  it  may  be  taken ;  and  in  this  case  you  must  remark  those 
different  relations. 

Sometimes  the  doctrine  contained  in  the  proposition  has  different 
degrees,  which  it  will  also  be  necessary  to  remark. 

Sometimes  the  proposition  is  general,  and  this  generality  seems  to 
make  it  of  little  importance.  In  this  case  you  must  examine,  wheth- 
er some  of  its  parts  be  not  more  considerable ;  if  they  be,  you  will  be 
obliged  to  discuss  these  parts  by  a  particular  application. 

First.  To  give  the  sense  of  a  proposition  neat  and  clear,  and  af- 
terwards to  confirm  and  illustrate  it,  let  us  take  Eph.  i.  18.  *'  The 
eyes  of  your  understanding  being  enlightened,  that  ye  may  know  what 
is  the  hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  in- 
heritance in  the  saints." 

This  text  must  be  divided  into  two  parts.  The  first  is  the  apos- 
tle's prayer,  "  May  God  enlighten  the  eyes  of  your  understanding  !" 
the  second  is  the  end  of  this  illumination,  "  that  ye  may  know  what  is 
the  hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inher- 
itance in  the  saints." 

1.  The  apostle's  wish  or  prayer  contains  a  proposition,  which  is, 
that  "  it  is  God  who  enlightens  the  eyes  of  our  understanding."  To 
give  clearly  the  sense,  you  must  first  observe  in  a  few  words,  that 
scripture  frequently  borrows  the  names  and  images  of  the  faculties  of 
the  body  to  represent  those  of  the  soul  ;  therefore  it  gives  us  feet  to 
walk  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  hands  to  work  out  our  salvation, 
kiiees  to  boto  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  ears  to  hear  the  sacred  truths  of 
the  gospel,  a  mouth  to  eat  the  flesh  and  drink  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  eyes  to  see  the  mysteries  of  his  kingdom.  All  this  is  found- 
ed not  only  on  the  natural  conformity,  or  resemblance,  which  there  is 
between  the  operations  of  the  soul  and  the  organs  of  the  body,  but 
also  on  the  scripture  manner  of  calling  the  whole  of  our  regeneration 
and  conversion  a  new  man.  Here,  then,  eyes  of  the  understanding  is 
an  expression  agreeable  to  the  ordinary  style  of  scripture,  and  signi- 
fies simply  our  understanding,  the  faculty  by  which  we  know  and 
judge  objects. 

2.  But,  beside  this,  you  must  remark,  that  our  eyes  have  two  very 
different  uses  ;  one  consists  only  in  viewing  objects  indifferently  for 
no  other  purpose  than  our  diversion  ;  as  when  in  a  rural  walk  we  look 
at  the  starry  heavens,  or  admire  extensive  plains,  and  flowing  rivers  : 
this  may  be  called  a  simple  view  of  contemplation  :  the  other  goes 
farther,  and  consists  not  barely  in  seeing  objects,  but  in  looking  at 
them  so  as  to  conduct  and  regulate  our  actions ;  so  a  traveller  sees 


174 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 


roads  in  his  journey  ;  so  a  man  sees  his  friend  to  open  his  own  heart, 
and  ask  his  friend's  advice ;  so  a  prisoner  sees  his  deliverer  to  ask 
his  freedom  :  this  may  be  called  a  view  of  action  or  direction.  Thus 
it  is  with  the  understanding  ;  it  has  two  functions,  one  a  simple  knowl- 
edge of  objects,  as  of  physical  or  metaphysical  truths,  called  in  the 
schools,  speci/latwe  Icnowledge :  the  other  a  knowledge  of  objects  in 
order  to  act  by  them,  and  to  use  them  for  a  rule,  and  a  guide,  as 
when  we  know  the  nature  of  virtue,  and  the  precepts  of  morality,  the 
rules  of  art,  and  the  maxims  of  jurisprudence  ;  this  is  what  the  schools 
call  practical  knoidedge.  Now,  here  the  understanding  is  spoken  of, 
not  in  the  former,  but  latter  sense  ;  for  the  mysteries  of  the  Christian 
religion  are  not  mysteries  of  simple  contemplation,  the  scripture  does 
not  propose  them  for  our  diversion,  nor  to  gratify  our  curiosity  ;  but 
they  are  mysteries  of  practice,  which  we  ought  to  know,  in  order  to 
act  towards  them,  by  embracing  them  with  all  the  powers  of  our 
hearts,  by  receiving  their  impression  and  yielding  to  their  energy ;  in 
one  word,  by  making  them  a  rule  of  our  conduct.  The  apostle's  pro- 
position then  means  :  That  it  is  God,  who  by  the  interior  light  of  his 
spirit  opens  the  eyes  of  our  understandings  to  receive,  as  we  ought, 
the  truths  of  his  word,  thereby  enabling  us  to  judge  of  them,  to  love 
and  follow  them,  and  to  make  them  the  rules  of  our  conduct. 

The  proposition,  thus  explained,  must  be  proved.  This  may  be 
done  directly,  or  indirectly  ;  indirectly  by  producing  divers  passages 
of  scripture,  which  represent  the  greatness  of  natural  depravity,  and 
the  inability  of  man  to  convert  himself  Such  passages  are  very  nu- 
merous, as  where  the  heart  is  called  a  "  heart  of  stone."  Where 
the  prophet  asks:  "  Can  the  Ethiopian  change  his  skin,  or  the  leopard 
his  spots  1  then  may  ye  also  do  good,  that  are  accustomed  to  do  evil." 
A  direct  confirmation  consists  of  passages,  in  which  our  conversion  is 
formally  ascribed  to  God,  and  to  the  efficacy  of  his  Spirit,  which  are 
also  very  numerous. 

While  you  are  confirming  this  proposition  by  scripture,  you  may 
mix  an  illustration  of  it  by  reasoning,  by  showing  that  our  attachments 
to  the  world  are  so  many  and  so  strong,  that  supernatural  grace  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  dissolve  them  ;  that  the  obscurities  of  our 
minds,  arising  either  from  our  prejudices,  or  passions,  or  old  habits, 
or  the  colours,  under  which  the  Gospel  first  presents  itself  to  us,  are 
such  as  render  it  impossible  for  us  to  judge  rightly.  This  may  be 
particularly  inserted  in  the  indirect  way. 

In  the  direct  way  you  may  also  mix  reasoning,  by  showing  that 
the  divine  wisdom  determines  our  regeneration  should  be  all  heaven- 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  175 

ly;  that  neither  flesh,  nor  blood,  nor  natural  principles  contribute  any 
thing  ;  that  the  new  man,  being  the  pure  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
renders  us  more  conformable  to  Jesus  Christ ;  for,  according  to  St. 
Paul,  "  God  has  predestinated  us  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his 
Son."  When  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world,  he  came  not  in  the 
ordinary,  natural  way ;  but  by  a  law  above  all  laws  in  the  world.  He 
was  made  of  a  virgin,  formed  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  God 
declares,  that  christians  "  are  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the 
flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  himself;"  and  on  this  account 
they  are  emphatically  styled  the  children  of  God  and  the  brethren  of 
Christ. 

In  confirming  this  proposition  you  may  also  illustrate  it  by  some 
examples,  as  by  that  of  the  converted  thief;  that  of  St.  Paul  ;  that  of 
the  Jews,  converted  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  at  the  preaching  of  St. 
Peter,  &c.  In  short,  by  any  examples,  in  which  the  power  of  grace 
remarkably  shone  in  conversion. 

The  subject  may  be  illustrated  by  comparing  conversion  with  the 
almighty  work  of  God  in  creating  the  universe  ;  and  you  may  remark 
in  a  few  words  their  conformities  and  differences. 

You  may  illustrate  by  its  consequences,  showing  the  greatness  and 
importance  of  the  change  wrought  in  men,  when  God  opens  the  eyes 
of  their  understandings. 

The  illustration  may  flow  from  ineviclence,  by  showing,  that  Jesus 
Christ  alone  i.as  taught  men  this  truth,  that  conversion  is  of  God.  All 
false  religions  attribute  this  work  to  man  himself;  philosophy  is  not 
acquainted  with  this  grace  from  on  high. 

Finally,  you  may  illustrate  the  subject  by  the  person  who  proposes 
it,  who  is  St.  Paul.  He  had  felt  all  its  efficacy,  fathomed,  as  it  were, 
all  its  depth,  and  consequently  could  well  speak  of  it.  Or  by  the 
persons  to  whom  it  loas  addressed,  the  Ephesians,  who  had  been  re- 
claimed from  the  greatest  superstition  that  was  among  the  pagans, 
that  is  to  say,  the  worship  of  Diana. 

The  manner,  in  which  St.  Paul  proposes  this  truth,  must  not  be 
forgotten  ;  it  is  in  the  form  of  a  wish  or  prayer.  "  May  God  give  you 
an  illumination  of  the  eyes  of  your  understanding!"  Which  shows 
the  necessity  and  importance  of  grace,  without  which  all  the  other 
mercies  of  God  would  be  rather  hurtful  than  profitable. 

You  may  also  remark  the  circumstances  of  time  and  place  ;  for  St. 
Paul  wrote  this  epistle,  when  he  was  in  prison  at  Rome,  when  he  was 
loaded  with  chains,  and  when  the  gospel  was  every  where  persecuted. 


176  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

Under  such  forbidding  circumstances,  the  Holy  Ghost  must  needs  dis- 
play a  mighty  power  in  conversion.* 

Secondly,  to  give  an  example  of  propositions,  including  divers 
truths,  which  must  be  distinguished  from  each  other.  We  cannot 
choose  a  more  proper  text  than  the  remaining  part  of  the  passage, 
which  was  just  now  explained.  "  That  you  may  know,"  says  St. 
Paul,  "  what  is  the  hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the 
glory  of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints,"  The  apostle's  proposition  is  : 
That,  by  the  illumination  of  grace,  we  understand  the  innumerable 
blessings,  to  the  enjoyment  of  which  God  calls  us  by  his  gospel. 
Now  this  proposition  includes  many  truths,  which  it  will  be  necessary 
to  distinCTuish.f 


CHAP.  VI. 


OF  TEXTS  TO  BE  DISCUSSED  BY  WAY  OF  OBSERVATION. 

Some  texts  require  a  discussion  by  way  of  consideration,  or  obser- 
vation.    The  following  hints  may  serve  for  a  general  direction. 

1.  When  texts  are  clear  of  themselves,  and  the  matter  well  known 
to  the  hearers,  it  would  be  trifling  to  amuse  the  people  with  explica- 
tion. Such  texts  must  be  taken  as  they  are,  that  is,  cleur,  plain,  and 
evident,  and  only  observations  should  be  made  on  them. 

*  Out  of  these  various  methods  of  illustration  Mr.  Claude  would  have  the 
preacher  choose  the  most  proper^  and  not  attempt  to  crowd  all  into  one  sermon. 

t   1.  The  gospel  is  a  divine  vocation  ;  "  Awake  thou  that  sleepest,  fcc." 

The  church  is  not  a  tumultuous  assembly,  &c.  but  a  society  which  has  God 
for  its  author — 

2.  A  vocation  in  which  God  proposes  something  to  our  hope. 

Not  a  vocation  of  mere  authority^  much  less  oi  seduction  to  sin  — 
But  like  that-to  Abraham,  or  to  Lazarus — 

3.  This  call  proposes  to  our  hopes  an  Inheritance — 
Not  a  recompense  proportioned  to  our  merit — 
But  a  good  bestowed  in  virtue  of  adopting  grace  — 

4.  This  inheritance  is  a  heavenly  one  ;  in  holy,  or  heavenly  places — 

The  apostle  intends,  not  only  the  nature  of  the   diviue  blessings,  but  also 
the;j/ace  of  possessing  them — 

5.  These  are  blessings  of  infinite  abundance.,  of  inexpressible  value — 

"  Riches  of  the  glory  ;"  a  way  of  speaking  proper  to  the  Hebrews,  and  of- 
ten used — 

6.  The  apostle  would  have  us  know  ihe  admirable  greatness  of  this  hope — 
All  our  deviations,  and  wrong  attachments,  arise  from  our  ignorance  of  this 

glory— 

7.  The  knowledge  we  have  of  this  matter  comes  from  divine  Illumination. 

Claude. 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  177 

2.  Most  historical  texts  must  be  discussed  in  this  way ;  for,  in  a 
way  of  explication,  there  would  be  very  little  to  say.  For  example, 
what  is  there  to  explain  in  this  passage  ?  "  Then  Jesus,  six  days  be- 
fore the  passover,  came  to  Bethany,  where  Lazarus  was,  which  had 
been  dead,  whom  he  raised  from  the  dead.  There  they  made  him  a 
supper,  and  Martha  served  :  but  Lazarus  was  one  of  them,  that  sat 
at  table  with  him."  John  xii.  Would  it  not  be  a  loss  of  time  and  la- 
bour to  attempt  to  explain  these  words  ;  and  are  they  not  clearer  than 
any  comments  can  make  them  1  The  way  of  observation,  then,  must 
be  taken. 

3.  There  are  some  texts,  which  require  hofh  explication  and  ob- 
servation, as  when  some  parts  may  need  explaining.  For  example. 
Acts  i.  10.  "  And  while  they  looked  stedfastly  toward  heaven,  as  he 
went  up,  behold,  two  men  stood  by  them  in  white  apparel.'  Here 
it  will  be  necessary  to  explain  in  a  few  words  the  cause  of  their  "  look- 
ing stedfastly  toward  heaven  ;"  for  by  lifting  their  eyes  after  their  di- 
vine Master,  they  expressed  the  inward  emotions  of  their  minds.  It 
will  be  needful  also  to  explain  this  other  expression,  "as  he  went 
up,"  and  to  observe,  that  it  must  be  taken  in  its  plain,  popular  sense  ; 
and  that  it  signifies  not  merely  the  removal  of  his  visible  presence, 
while  he  remained  invisibly  upon  earth  :  but  the  absolute  absence  of 
his  humanity.  This  is  the  natural  sense  of  the  words,  and  the  obser- 
vation is  necessary  to  guard  us  against  that  sense,  which  the  church 
of  Rome  imposes  on  them  for  the  sake  of  transubstantiation.  You 
may  also  briefly  explain  this  other  expression,  "  behold  !  two  men," 
and  show  that  they  were  Angels  in  human  shapes.  Here  you  may 
discuss  the  question  of  angelical  appearances  under  human  forms. 
Notwithstanding  these  brief  explications,  this  is  a  text,  that  must  be 
discussed  by  way  of  observation. 

Observe,  in  general,  when  explication  and  observation  meet  in  one 
text,  you  must  always  explain  the  part,  that  needs  explaining,  before 
you  make  any  observations  ;  for  observations  must  not  be  made, 
till  you   have   established  the  sense  plainly  and  clearly. 

4.  Sometimes  an  observation  may  be  made  by  way  of  explication, 
as  when  you  would  infer  something  important  from  the  meaning  of 
an  original  term  in  the  text.  For  example  ;  Acts  ii.  1.  "  And  when 
the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come,  they  were  all  with  one  accord  in 
one  place." 

It  will  be  proper  here  to  explain  and  enforce  the  Greek  word 
oixo&Vfiadov^  which  is  translated  with  one  accord,  for  it  signifies,  that 
23 


17H  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

they  had  the  same  hope,  the  same  opinions,  the  same  judgement ;  and 
thus  their  unanimity  is  distinguished  from  an  exterior,  and  negative 
agreement,  which  consists  in  a  mere  profession  of  having  no  different 
sentiments,  and  in  not  faUing  out ;  but  this  may  proceed  from  negli- 
gence, ignorance,  or  fear  of  a  tyrannical  authority.  The  uniformity 
of  which  the  church  of  Rome  boasts,  is  of  this  kind  ;  for  if  they  have 
no  disputes  and  quarrels  among  them  on  religious  matters,  (which, 
however,  is  not  granted,)  it  is  owing  to  the  stupidity  and  ignorance,  in 
which  the  people  are  kept,  or  to  that  indifference  and  negligence, 
which  the  greatest  part  of  that  community  discover  towards  religion, 
concerning  which  they  seldom  trouble  themselves ;  or  to  the  fear  of 
that  tyrannical  domination  of  their  prelates,  with  which  the  constitu- 
tion of  their  church  arms  them.  Now  consider  such  an  uniformity  how 
you  will,  it  will  appear  a  false  peace.  If  ignorance  or  negligence  pro- 
duce it,  it  resembles  the  quiet  of  dead  carcasses  in  a  burying-ground, 
or  the  profound  silence  of  night,  when  all  are  asleep ;  and,  if  it  be 
owing  to  fear,  it  is  the  stillness  of  a  galley-slave  under  the  strokes  of 
his  officer,  a  mere  shadow  of  acquiescence  produced  by  timidity,  and 
unworthy  of  the  name  of  unanimity.  The  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ 
were  not  uniform  in  this  sense  :  but  their  unanimity  was  inward,  and 
positive,  they  "  were  of  one  heart,  and  one  soul."  This  explication, 
you  perceive,  is  itself  a  very  just  observation,  and  there  are  very  many 
passages  of  scripture,  which  may  be  treated  of  in  the  same  manner. 

5.  Observations,  for  the  most  part,  ought  to  be  theological,  that 
is  to  say,  they  should  belong  to  a  system  of  religion.  Sometimes,  in- 
deed, we  may  make  use  of  observations  historical,  philosophical,  and 
critical ;  but  these  should  be  used  sparingly,  and  seldom ;  on  neces- 
sary occasions,  and  when  they  cannot  well  be  avoided  ;  and  even  then 
they  ought  to  be  pertinent,  and  not  common,  that  they  may  be  heard 
with  satisfaction.  Make  it  a  law  to  be  generally  very  brief  on  observa- 
tions of  these  kinds,  and  to  inform  your  audience,  that  you  only  make 
them  en  passant. 

There  are,  I  allow,  some  cases,  in  which  observations  remote  from 
theology  are  necessary  to  the  elucidating  of  a  text.  When  these  hap- 
pen, make  your  observations  professedly,  and  explain  and  prove  them. 
But,  I  repeat  it  again,  in  general,  observations  should  be  purely  theologi- 
cal;  either  speculative,  which  regard  the  mysteries  of  Christianity,  or 
practical,  which  regard  morality;  for  the  pulpit  was  erected  to  in- 
struct the  minds  of  men  in  religious  subjects,  and  not  to  gratify  curi- 
osity ;  to  inflame  the  heart,  and  not  to  find  play  for  imagination. 

6.  Observations  should  not  be  proposed  in  scholastic  style,  nor  in 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  179 

common-place  guise.  They  should  be  seasoned  with  a  sweet  urban- 
ity, accommodated  to  the  capacities  of  the  people,  and  adapted  to  the 
manners  of  good  nien.*  One  of  the  best  expedients  for  this  purpose 
is  a  reduction  of  obscure  matters  to  a  natural,  popular,  modern  air. 
You  can  never  attain  this  ability,  unless  you  acquire  a  habit  of  con- 
ceiving clearly  of  subjects  yourself,  and  of  expressing  them  in  a  free, 
familiar,  easy  manner,  remote  from  every  thing  forced,  and  far-fetch- 
ed. All  long  trains  of  arguments,  all  embarrassments  of  divisions  and 
subdivisions,  all  metaphysical  investigations,  which  are  mostly  imper- 
tinent, and,  like  the  fields,  the  cities,  and  the  houses,  which  we  im- 
agine in  the  clouds,  the  mere  creatures  of  fancy,  all  these  should  be 
avoided. 

7.  Care,  however,  must  be  taken  to  avoid  the  opposite  extreme, 
which  consists  in  making  only  poor,  dry,  spiritless  observations,  fre- 
quently said  under  pretence  of  avoiding  school-divinity,  and  of  speak- 
ing only  popular  things.  Endeavour  to  think  clearly,  and  try  also  to 
think  nobly.  Let  your  observations  be  replete  with  beauty,  as  well  as 
propriety,  the  fruits  of  a  fine  fancy  under  the  direction  of  a  sober 
judgement.  If  you  be  inattentive  to  this  article,  you  will  pass  for  a 
contemptible  declaimer,  of  mean  and  shallow  capacity,  exhausting 
yourself  and  not  edifying  your  hearers  ;  a  very  ridiculous  charac- 
ter ! 

To  open  more  particularly  some  sources  of  observations,  remark 
every  thing,  that  may  help  you  to  think,  and  facilitate  invention ; 

I.    RISE  FROM  SPECIES  TO  GENUS.t 

Psal.  50:  14.  "  Sacrifice  to  God  thanksgiving,  and  pay  thy  vows 
unto  the  most  High."  In  discussing  this  text,  I  would  observe  first 
the  terms,  sacrifice  thanksgiving,  and  would  elucidate  them  by  going 
from  the  species  to  the  genus.  The  dignity  of  sacrifice  in  general 
would  lead  me  to  observe ;  that  it  is  the  immediate  commerce  of  a 

*  Urbanity  is  opposed  to  rusticity^  and  that  of  which  our  author  speaks,  re- 
gards both  the  subject  itself,  and  the  language,  in  which  it  is  expressed.  ]n 
short,  if  urbanity  be  not  in  the  preacher,  it  will  never  be  in  his  sermons. 

Ministers,  who  aim  at  this  excellence,  should  remember,  that  there  is  such 
a  thing  as  bein^ /oo/am/Zi'ar.  As  to  an  easy  manner  also,  there  are  two  ex- 
tremes. The  formal  stiffness  of  a  pedant,  and  the  carelessness  of  a  man  who 
does  not  respect  his  company,  are  both  at  a  distance  from  Mr.  Claude's  ease. 
The  ease  of  the  manner  of  a  christian  preacher,  in  the  pulpit,  is  not  the  ease 
of  a  man  when  alune,  but  of  a  well-bred  man  in  company. 

A  subject  is  far-fetched,  when,  although  it  may  have  some  connexion  with 
the  text,  yet  this  connexion  lies  at  a  great  distance,  and  obliges  the  preacher 
to  go  a  long,  long  way  to  come  at  it.  Robin.sox. 

+  This  is  a  topic  peculiarly  proper  in  an  exordium. 


180  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

creature  with  his  God,  an  action,  in  which  it  is  clifFicult  to  judge  wheth- 
er earth  ascend  to  heaven,  or  heaven  descend  to  earth  ;  that  in  almost  all 
tlie' other  acts  of  religion  the  creature  receives  of  his  Creator  :  but  in 
this  the  Creator  receives  of  his  creature  ;  that  the  Lord  of  the  universe, 
who  needs  nothing,  and  who  eternally  lives  in  a  rich  abundance,  hath 
such  a  condescension  as  to  be  willing  to  receive  offering  at  our  hands  ; 
that,  of  all  dignities,  that  of  the  priesthood  was  the  highest,  for  which 
reason  the  ancient  priests  dwelt  in  the  tabernacle,  or  temple  of  God  ; 
that  when  God  divided  Canaan  among  the  children  of  Israel,  each 
tribe  had  its  portion  except  that  of  Levi,  to  which  God  assigned  noth- 
ing. Why  ?  because  he  loved  them  less  ?  No,  but  because  he  gave 
them  the  priesthood,  and  because  he,  who  had  the  priesthood,  the  al- 
tar, and  the  censer,  had  God  for  his  portion,  and  consequently  could 
have  no  need  of  temporal  things.  This  is,  you  see,  to  rise  from  spe- 
cies to  genus  ;  for  the  text  does  not  speak  of  sacrifice  in  general,  but 
of  the  sacrifice  of  praise  in  particular  ;  yet,  when  these  general  con- 
siderations are  pertinent,  they  cannot  fail  of  being  well  received. 

II.    DESCEND  FROM  GENTTS  TO  SPECIES. 

An  example  may  be  taken  from  Psal.  cxxiii.  2.  "  Behold  !  as  th& 
eyes  of  servants  look  unto  the  hand  of  their  masters,  so  our  eyes  wait 
upon  the  Lord  our  God."  Here  you  may  aptly  observe  in  masters 
with  regard  to  servants,  and  in  God  with  regard  to  us,  three  senses  of 
the  phrase.  There  is  a  hand  of  beneficence,  a  hand  of  protection  or 
deliverance,  and  a  hand  of  correction.  A  servant  expects  favours 
from  the  hand  of  his  master,  not  from  that  of  a  stranger.  He  looks 
to  him  for  protection  and  deliverance  in  threatening  dangers,  and  re- 
fuses all  help,  except  that  of  his  master.  He  expects  correction  from 
him,  when  he  commits  a  fault,  and,  when  corrected,  humbles  himself 
under  his  master's  frown,  in  order  to  disarm  him  by  tears  of  repent- 
ance. The  application  of  these  to  the  servants  of  God  is  easy.  The 
word  succour  is  general,  and  may  very  well  be  considered  by  descend- 
ing from  the  genus  to  the  species,  and  by  observing  the  different  oc- 
casions, which  we  have  for  divine  assistance,  and,  consequently,  the 
different  assistances  and  succours,  which  God  affords  us  ;  as  the  help 
of  his  word  to  remove  our  ignorance,  doubts,  or  errors  ;  the  help  of 
his  providence  to  deliver  us  out  of  afflictions  ;  the  help  of  his  grace 
and  spirit  to  guard  us  from  the  temptations  of  the  world,  and  to  aid  us 
against  the  weaknesses  of  nature  ;  the  help  of  divine  consolations  to 
sweeten  the  bitterness  of  our  exercises  under  distressing  circumstan- 
ces, and  to  give  us  courage  to  bear  afflictions  ;  the  help  of  his  mercy 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  181 

to  pardon  our  sins,  and  to  restore  to  our  consciences  that  tranquillity, 
which  they  have  lost  by  offending  God.  You  will  meet  with  a  great 
number  of  texts  which  may  be  discussed  in  this  manner  ;  but  great 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  strain  the  subject;  for  that  would  make 
you  look  like  a  school-boy.  The  best  way  is  to  make  only  one  gen- 
eral observation,  and  then  to  apply  it  to  several  particular  subjects, 
collecting  all  at  last  into  one  general  point  of  view. 

III.    REMARK  THE  DIVERS  CHARACTERS  OF  A  VICE,  WHICH  IS  FORBIDDEN,  OR 
OF  A  VIRTUE,  WHICH  IS  COMMANDED.* 

You  might  easily  take  the  characters  o{  vices  from  this  pattern  of 
characterising  virtues  ;  however,  I  will  add  an  example  on  avarice, 
taking  for  a  text  Heb.  xiii.  5.  "  Let  your  conversation  be  without 
covetousness,  and  be  content  with  such  things  as  ye  have." 

1.  Avarice  is  a  disposition  so  gross,  that  it  obscures  the  understand- 
ing and  reason  of  a  man,  even  so  far  as  to  make  him  think  of  profit, 
where  there  is  nothing  but  loss,  and  imagine  that  to  be  economy, 
which  is  nothing  but  ruin.  Is  it  not  in  this  manner,  that  a  covetous 
man,  instead  of  preventing  maladies  by  an  honest  and  frugal  expense, 
draws  them  upon  himself  by  a  sordid  and  niggardly  way  of  living  ?  and 
by  this  means  brings  himself  under  an  unavoidable  necessity  of  con- 
suming one  part  of  his  substance  to  recover  a  health  which,  by  an  ex- 
cessive parsimony,  he  has  lost  1  There  are  even  some,  who  bring  inev- 
itable death  upon  themselves,  rather  than  spend  any  thing  to  procure 
necessary  relief,  and  are  impertinent  enough  to  imagine  that  riches 
had  better  be  without  a  possessor,  than  a  possessor  without  riches  : 
as  if  man  were  made  for  money,  and  not  money  for  man. 

But,  2dly,  this  would  be  but  little,  if  avarice  affected  only  the  ava- 

*  For  example,  2  Thess.  iii,  5.  "  The  Lord  direct  your  hearts  into  the  love 
of  God,  and  into  the  patient  waitinsf  for  Christ.''  Beg-in  with  the  characterx 
of  true  love  to  God.  The  seat  of  it  is  the  heart ;  it  possesses  the  whole  heart ; 
and  though  it  is  not  alone,  it  holds  the  chief  place  ;  its  emotions  and  acts  are 
infinite^  without  measure  or  subordination,  without  bounds  or  partition  ;  but 
sets  bounds  to  every  emotion  towards  other  objects  ;  is  accompanied  with  hu- 
milily  2.nA  fear  ;  principally  consists  in  obedience;  is  inflamed  under  the  rod 
oi  correction  ;  ^lwA  is  not  superstitious. —  It  is  tranquil  and  peaceable;  yet  al- 
ways active  ;  and  finally,  one  of  the  greatest  evidences  of  love  to  God  is  «;)on- 
/oneows  obedience,  not  waiting  for  chastisements  to  awake  us,  after  we  have 
fallen  into  sin.     So  much  for  the  characters  of  love. 

Then  subjoin  the  emotions  included  in  the  words,  "  patient  waiting."  On 
which,  remark.  That  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  being  the  subject  in  question, 
the  expectation  of  a  believer  is  a  true  and  real  hope.,  accompanied  with  an  ho- 
ly and  ardent  desire,  as  being  an  expectation  of  the  greatest  blessings,  and  an 
holy  inquietude.,  almost  like  what  we  feel  v/hen  we  expect  an  intimate  friend  ; 
but  this  inquietude  does  not  hinder  us  from  possessing  our  souls  in  patience — 
and  finally,  it  necessarily  includes  a  holy  preparation.  Claude. 


182  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

ricious  themselves  ;  it  goes  much  farther,  it  renders  a  man  useless  to 
society.  It  subverts  the  idea  of  our  living  to  assist  one  another  :  for 
a  covetous  man  is  useless  to  the  whole  world.  He  resembles  that 
earth,  of  which  St,  Paul  speaks,  which  "  drinketh  in  the  rain,  that 
comes  often  upon  it,  and  beareth  only  thorns  and  briars."  He  is  an 
unfruitful  tree  ;  a  gulf,  which  draws  in  waters  from  all  parts  ;  but  from 
which  no  stream  runs  :  or,  if  you  will,  an  avaricious  man  is  like  death, 
that  devours  all,  and  restores  nothing  ;  whence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  no 
man  is  in  general  so  much  despised,  while  he  lives,  as  a  miser,  and 
no  man's  death  is  so  much  desired  as  his.  He  never  opens  his  treas- 
ures, till  he  is  leaving  the  world ;  he  therefore  can  never  receive  the 
fruits  of  gratitude,  because  his  favours  are  never  conferred  till  his 
death. 

3d.  Farther,  this  vice  not  only  renders  a  man  useless  to  society, 
but  it  even  makes  him  hurtful  and  pernicious  to  it.  There  is  no  right 
so  inviolable,  no  law  so  holy,  which  he  will  not  violate  greedily  to 
amass  riches,  and  cautiously  to  preserve  them.  How  many  violent 
encroachments!  how  many  criminal  designs!  how  many  dark  and 
treasonable  practices  !  how  many  infamies  and  wickednesses  have 
proceeded  from  this  perverse  inclination  !  If  a  covetous  man  is  bar- 
ren in  kindnesses,  he  is  fruitful  in  sins  and  iniquities.  There  are  no 
boundaries  which  he  cannot  pass,  no  barriers  which  he  cannot  read- 
ily go  over  to  satisfy  his  base  passion  for  money. 

4th.  By  this  we  may  already  perceive  how  incompatible  this  vice 
is  with  true  faith,  and  tvith  the  genius  of  Christianity.  The  spirit 
of  Christianity  is  a  spirit  of  love  and  charity,  always  beneficent,  always 
ready  to  prevent  the  necessities  of  our  christian  brethren,  kind  and 
full  of  compassion,  inquiring  into  the  wants  of  others,  and,  without 
askincr,  seeking  means  to  prevent  them.  But  avarice,  on  the  contra- 
ry, makes  a  man  hard,  cruel,  pitiless,  beyond  the  reach  of  complaints 
and  tears,  rendering  the  miser  not  only  jealous  of  the  prosperity  of 
his  neighbour ;  but  even  making  him  consider  the  pittances  of  the 
miserable  as  objects  of  his  covetous  desires. 

It  is  not  without  reason,  that  St.  Paul  calls  avarice,  idolatry;  for 
one  of  the  principal  characters  of  this  cursed  inclination  is  a  making 
gold  and  silver  one's  God.  It  is  money,  in  effect,  which  the  covetous 
adores,  it  is  this  that  he  supremely  loves,  this  he  prefers  above  all  oth- 
er things,  it  is  his  last  end,  his  life,  his  confidence,  and  all  his  happi- 
ness. He,  who  fears  God,  consecrates  to  him  his  first  thoughts,  and 
devotes  to  his  glory  and  service  the  chief  of  his  cares,  to  his  interests 
the  whole  of  his  heart,  and  for  the  rest  commits  himself  to  the  care  of 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  183 

his  providence.  It  is  the  same  with  a  covetous  man  in  regard  to  his 
treasures  ;  he  thinks  only  of  them,  he  labours  only  to  increase  and  pre- 
serve them,  he  feels  only  for  them,  he  has  neither  rest,  nor  hope, 
which  is  not  founded  on  his  riches ;  he  would  offer  incense  to 
them,  could  he  do  it  without  expense. 

6th.  It  is  surprising,  and  sometimes  sufficiently  diverting,  to  see 
in  what  manner  all  the  other  inclinations  of  a  miser,  good  and  bad, 
virtues  atnd  vices,  his  love  and  his  hatred,  his  joy  and  his  sorrow,  re- 
spect and  obey  his  avarice.  They  move  or  rest,  act  or  do  not  act, 
agreeably  to  the  orders  which  this  criminal  passion  gives  them.  If  he 
be  naturally  civil,  mild,  and  agreeable  in  his  conversation,  he  will  not 
fail  to  lay  aside  all  his  civilites,  and  good  manners,  when  his  avarice 
tells  him  he  may  get  something  by  doing  so  ;  and,  on  the  contrary, 
when  he  has  received  some  injury,  when  some  insult  has  been  offered 
him,  which  is  a  just  ground  of  resentment,  you  may  see  in  an  instant  his 
wrath  is  removed,  and  all  his  vehemence  abated,  in  hope  of  a  little 
money  offered  to  appease  him,  or  in  fear  of  a  small  expense  to  gratify 
his  resentment.  If  an  object  of  public  joy,  or  sorrow,  offer  itself  to 
his  view,  simply  considering  it  in  a  general  view,  he  will  be  glad  or 
sorry  according  to  the  nature  of  the  thing  in  question  :  but  should 
this  occasion  of  public  joy  interest  him  ever  so  little,  or  in  any  man- 
ner prejudice  his  pretensions,  all  on  a  sudden  you  will  see  all  his  joy 
turned  into  sorrow.  In  like  manner,  when  a  public  calamity  gives 
him  an  opportunity  of  gaining  any  thing,  all  his  sorrow  is  turned  into 
joy.  If  he  ardently  loves  any  one,  he  will  love  him  no  longer  if  he 
begin  to  cost  him  any  thing  ;  avarice  will  turn  all  his  love  into  indiffer- 
ence and  coldness.  If  reason  and  common  honesty  oblige  him  to  be 
of  a  party,  who  have  justice  on  their  side,  he  will  maintain  and  even 
exaggerate  their  rights,  and  defend  the  equity  of  them,  while  his  purse 
is  not  engaged  ;  engage  his  purse,  and  it  is  no  longer  the  same  thinor ; 
what  was  just  is  now  become  unjust  to  him  ;  he  has  quickly  whys, 
and  howevers  in  his  mouth — but,  however,  we  were  mistaken  in  such 
a  point— ^^7/^^/  should  we  be  obstinate  in  such,  or  such  a  thing  1  &c. 

IV.    OBSERVE  THE  RELATION  OF  ONE  SUBJECT  TO  ANOTHER, 

For  example,  always  when  in  scripture  God  is  called  a  Father, 
the  relation  of  that  term  to  children  is  evident,  and  we  are  obliged 
not  only  to  remark  the  paternal  inclinations,  which  are  in  God  to- 
wards us,  and  the  advantages,  which  we  receive  from  his  love,  but  al- 
so the  duties  to  which  we  are  bound  as  children  of  such  a  father. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  all  these  expressions  of  scripture,  God  is 


184  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

our  God,  we  are  his  people ;  he  is  our  portion,  we  are  his  heritage ; 
he  is  our  master,  we  are  his  servants ;  he  is  our  king,  we  are  the  sub- 
jects of  his  kingdom  ;  he  is  our  prophet  or  teacher,  we  are  his  disci- 
ples ;  with  many  more  of  the  same  kind.  When  we  meet  with  such 
single  and  separate,  they  must  be  discussed  in  relation  to  one  anoth- 
er, and  this  relation  must  be  particularly  considered.  Thus,  when  the 
kingdom  of  God,  or  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  spoken  of,  all  things  relative 
to  this  kingdom  must  be  considered;  as,  its  laws;  arms;  throne; 
crown  ;  subjects ;  extent  of  dominion  ;  palace  where  the  king  resides ; 
&-C.  So  when  our  mystical  marriage  with  Jesus  Christ  is  spoken  of, 
whether  it  be  where  he  is  called  a  bridegroom,  or  his  church  a  bride, 
you  should,  after  you  have  explained  these  expressions,  turn  your  at- 
tention to  relative  things;  as  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  to  us,  which 
made  him  consent  to  this  mystical  marriage ;  the  dowry,  that  we  bring 
him,  our  sins  and  miseries ;  the  communication,  which  he  makes  to 
us  both  of  his  name  and  benefits ;  the  rest,  that  he  grants  us  in  his 
house,  changing  our  abode  ;  the  banquet  at  his  divine  nuptials  ;  the 
inviolable  fidelity,  which  he  requires  of  us  ;  the  right  and  power  he 
acquires  over  us  ;  the  defence  and  protection,  which  he  engages  to 
afford  us  :  but  when  these  relative  things  are  discussed,  great  care 
must  be  taken  neither  to  insist  on  them  too  much,  nor  to  descend  to 
mean  ideas,  nor  even  to  treat  of  them  one  after  another  in  the  form 
of  a  parallel ;  for  nothing  is  more  tiresome,  than  treating  these  apart, 
and  one  after  another.  They  must,  then,  be  associated  together  ;  a 
body  composed  of  many  images  must  be  formed ;  and  the  whole  must 
be  always  animated  with  the  sensible,  and  the  spiritual. 

V.     OBSERVE  WHETHER  SOME    THINGS    BE    NOT  SUPPOSED,   WHICH  ARE  NOT 

EXPRESSED. 

This  is  a  source  of  invention  different  from  the  former ;  for  the 
former  is  confined  to  things  really  relative  ;  but  this  speaks  in  gener- 
al of  things  supposed,  which  have  no  relation  to  each  other.  For  ex- 
ample, when  we  speak  of  a  change,  what  they  call  the  terminus  a  quo 
necessarily  supposes  the  terminus  ad  quern:  and  the  terminus  ad  quern 
supposes  the  terminus  a  quo. 

A  covenant  supposes  two  contracting  parties  ;  a  reconciliation 
effected,  or  a  peace  made,  supposes  war  and  enmity  ;  a  victory  sup- 
poses enemies,  arms,  and  a  combat ;  life  supposes  death,  and  death 
life;  the  day  supposes  night,  and  the  night  day  :  sometimes  there  are 
propositions,  which  necessarily  suppose  others,  either  because  they 
are  consequences,  depending  on  their  principles,  or  because  they  are 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON. 


18r 


truths  naturally  connected  with  others.  It  is  always  very  important 
to  understand  well  what  things  are  supposed  in  a  text ;  for  sometimes 
several  useful  considerations  may  be  drawn  from  them,  and  not  un- 
frequcntly  the  very  expressions  in  the  text  include  them. 

f'or  example.  Rom.  xii.  17  :  "Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for 
evil."  In  discussing  this  text  you  may  very  properly  observe  the 
truths,  which  are  implied,  or  supposed  in  the  words  ;  as  1.  The  (Jisor- 
der  into  which  sin  has  thrown  mankind,  so  that  men  are  exposed  to 
receive  injuries  and  insults  from  each  other.  A  society  of  sinners  is 
only  a  shadow  of  Society  ;  they  are  actually  at  war  with  each  other, 
and,  like  the  Midianitish  army,  turning  every  one  his  sword  against 
his  companion.  The  spirit  of  the  world  is  a  spirit  of  dispersion  rath- 
er than  of  association.  Difl'crent  interests,  diversities  of  sentiments, 
varieties  of  opinions,  contrarieties  of  passions  make  a  perpetual  divis- 
ion, and  the  fruits  of  this  division  are  insults  and  injuries.  It  may  be 
said  of  each  in  such  societies,  as  of  Ishmael  in  the  prophecy,  "  his 
hand  is   against  every   man,  and  eveVy  man's  hand  against  him." 

2.  We  must  not  imagine  that  faith,  and  the  dignity  of  a  christian 
calling  raise  the  disciple  of  Christ  above  injuries  ;  on  the  contrary, 
they  expose  him  oftener  to  evils  than  others  ;  as  well  because  God 
himself  will  have  our  faith  tried,  that  we  may  arrive  at  heaven  throvgh 
inani)  tribulations,  as  because  a  christian  profession  necessarily  divides 
believers  from  infidels.  The  world  and  sin  form  a  kind  of  commu- 
nion between  the  wicked  and  worldly,  which  produces  a  mutual  for- 
bearance and  friendship  :  but  there  is  no  communion  between  a  be- 
liever and  an  unbeliever,  any  more  than  between  light  and  darkness, 
Christ  and  Belial.  Thence  come  all  the  persecutions  of  the  church, 
and  thence  will  good  men  continue  to  meet  with  opposition  from  the 
wicked  to  the  end  of  time.  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  sent  his  apostles, 
did  not  fail  to  apprise  them  of  this  ;  he  said,  "  I  send  you  forth  as 
sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves:"  and  again,  "  If  ye  were  of  the  world, 
the  world  would  love  his  own  ;  but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world, 
therefore  the  world  hatqth  you." 

You  may  make  an  observation  on  each  of  these  supposed  truths  ; 
and,  having  established  the  apostle's  precept,  by  showing  that  private 
revenge  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  Christianity,  and  incompatible  with 
true  piety,  you  may  observe  a  third  supposed  trutji. 

3.  That  the  gospel  not  only  forbids    resentment  and  revenge  ;  it 

even  commands  us  to  pardon  offences  ;  and,   farther,  obligeth  us  to 

do  good  to  our  enemies,  and  io  pray  for  our  persecutors,  according  to 

the  precepts  of  Jesus  Christ,  "Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that 

24 


186 


AN  ESSAV  ON  THE 


curse  you,  and  pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  you  :"  and  according 
to  the  doctrine  of  St.  Paul  in  another  place,  "  If  thine  enemy  hun- 
ger, feed  him;  if  he  thirst,  give  him  drink." 

It  remains  that  you  take  care  in  treating  supposed  truths, 

1st,  Not  io  fetch  them  too  far,  or  to  bring  them  about  by  long  cir- 
cuits of  reasoning.  Avoid  this  for  two  reasons  ;  first,  because  you 
would  render  your  discourse  obscure  by  it ;  for  every  body  is  not  ca- 
pable of  seeing  truths,  which  are  very  distant  from  the  text :  and,  sec- 
ondly, because  by  this  means  you  might  bring  in  all  the  whole  body 
of  divinity  into  your  text;  which  attempt  would  be  vicious,  and  con- 
trary to  the  rules  of  good  sense.  Of  supposed  truths,  you  must  choose 
the  most  natural,  and  those  which  lie  nearest  the  text.* 

In  the  2d  place,  do  not  enlarge  on  implied  truths  :  it  is  proper, 
indeed,  that  hearers  should  know  them  ;  but  they  are  not  principal 
articles. 

And,  3dly,  take  care  also  that  these  supposed  things  be  im- 
jjortant,  either  for  instruction  in  general,  or  for  casting  light  partic- 
ularly on  the  text,  or  for  consolation,  or  for  the  correction  of  vice,  or 
practice  of  piety,  or  some  useful  purpose;  otherwise  you  would  deliv- 
er trifling  impertinences  under  the  name  of  implied  truths. 

VI.     REFLECT  ON  TflE  PERSON  SPEAKING  OR  ACTING. 

For  an  example,  let  us  take  the  last-mentioned  text  of  St.  Paul, 
"  recompense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil."  Here  you  may  very  pertinent- 
ly remark,  I.  That  this  precept  is  more  beautiful  in  the  mouth  of  St. 
Paul,  than  it  could  have  been  in  that  of  any  other  man.  The  reason 
is  this  ;  he  of  all  the  men  in  the  world  had  the  greatest  reason  for  re- 
sentment upon  worldly  principles  ;  for  never  was  there  a  man  more 
persecuted,  never  a  man  more  unjustly  persecuted  than  he  ;  he  was 
persecuted  by  his  own  countrymen  the  Jews,  persecuted  by  the  Gen- 
tiles, persecuted  by  false  brethren,  persecuted  by  false  apostles,  per- 
secuted when  he  preached  the  gospel,  persecuted  even  by  those,  for 
whose  salvation  he  was  labouring,  persecuted  to  prison,  to  banishment, 
to  bonds,  to  blood  ;  how  amiable,  then,  is  such  a  precept  in  the  mouth 
of  such  a  man  !  How  forcible  is  such  a  precept,  supported  by  one  of 
the  greatest  examples  we  can  conceive  !  by  the  example  of  a  man 

*  Thus  Bishop  Fi.ktcher,  in  a  sermon  concerning  the  rich  man,  who  said, 
Luke  xii.  18,  "■  I  will  pull  down  my  barns,"  &c.  "•  The  rich  man  does  not 
propose  to  employ  his  fortune  mfadwii  ;  he  does  not  intend  to  increase  his  es- 
tate by  encroaching  on  his  neighbours  ;  nor  to  get  richer  by  extortion  and 
usury  ;  he  does  not  mean  to  trouble  and  ptrstcule  good  people,  who  do  not 
live  as  he  doth  ;  nor  does  he  design  to  give  himself  up  to  sordid  nvtirice^  or  to 
ostentation  and  pomp  ;  only,  Soxil^  laLt  Ihint  ea*e."       .  Kobijvsow. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  l^'T 

whose  interest  seems  to  dictate  a  quite  contrary  practice  !  When  we 
give  such  precepts  to  the  worldly,  they  never  fail  to  say  to  us,  Yes, 
yes  !  you  talk  finely  !  you  have  never  been  insulted  as  we  have !  had 
you  met  with  what  we  have,  you  would  talk  otherwise  !  But  there  is 
no  reason  to  say  so  to  St.  Paul,  any  more  than  to  Jesus  Christ,  his 
master,  the  author  of  this  divine  morality  ;  for  who  was  ever  so  per- 
secuted as  Jesus  Christ  ?  and,  after  him,  who  suffered  more  than  his 
servant  St.  Paul  ? 

2.  You  may  also  very  properly  remark,  that,  to  take  a  different 
view  of  the  apostle  Paul,  no  man  was  more  obliged  to  teach  and  love 
such  a  morality  than  himself.  Why  ?  Because  of  all  those,  whom 
God  in  his  ineffable  mercy  had  called  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
he  had  been  the  most  concerned  in  cruel  efforts  of  rage  against  God 
and  his  church  ;  all  inflamed  with  fury  he  went  from  Jerusalem  to 
Damascus,  to  ravage  the  flock  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  this  raging  vio- 
lence of  his  hatred,  God  made  him  feel  his  love,  pardoned  his  sins, 
softened  his  heart,  and  from  heaven  cried  to  him,  "  Saul,  Saul,  why 
persecutest  thou  me  ?"  Who,  then,  could  be  more  obliged  to  preach 
mercy  than  this  man,  to  whom  God  had  showed  so  much  mercy  ? 
Might  he  not  say,  when  he  gave  these  rules  of  morality,  what  he  said 
on  anoliier  subject,  "  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  that,  which  [  deliv- 
er unto  you  ;"  I  liave  received  the  same  mercy,  which  I  teach  you. 
Add  to  this,  the  apostle  had  not  only  met  with  pardoning  love  to  an 
enemy  on  God's  part,  but  he  had  also  experienced  it  from  the  chvrch. 
Far  from  rendering  him  evil  for  evil,  far  from  avenging  his  persecu- 
tions, the  disciples  of  Christ  reached  out  the  arms  of  their  love  to 
him,  received  him  into  their  communion,  and  numbered  him  with  the 
apostles  of  Jesus  Christ. 

VII.     REFLECT  ON  THE  STATE  OF  THE  PERSONS  SPEAKING  OR  ACTING. 

Thus  in  explaining  1  Thess.  v.  IG.  Rejoice  cvennore,  you  must 
not  fail  to  consider  the  state  of  St.  Paul,  when  he  wrote  that  epistle  ; 
for  he  was  at  Athens,  engaged  in  that  superstitious  city,  where,  as  it 
is  said  in  the  xvii.  of  Acts,  his  spirit  was  "  stirred  in  him,"  observing 
"  the  city  wholly  given  to  idolatry  ;"  where  he  was  treated  as  a  "  bab- 
bler, a  setter  forth  of  strange  gods,"  and  where,  in  short,  he  was  the 
object  of  Athenian  ridicule  and  raillery.  Yet,  amid  so  many  just 
causes  of  grief,  he  exhorts  the  Thessalonians  always  to  preserve  their 
spiritual  joy;  not  that  he  meant  to  render  them  insensible  to  the  evils, 
which  he  suffered,  nor  to  the  afflictions  of  the  new-born  church  ;  but 
because  our  spiritual  afflictions,  I  mean  those,  which  we  suffer  for  the 


i5*S  AM  ESSAY  ON  THE 

glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  his  church,  are  not  incompatible  with 
peace  and  joy  of  conscience  :  on  the  contrary,  it  is  particularly  in 
these  afflictions  that  God  gives  the  most  lively  joys,  because  then  he 
bestows  on  his  children  more  abundant  measures  of  his  grace,  and 
more  intimate  communion  with  himself.  Moreover,  on  these  sad  oc- 
casions we  generally  become  better  acquainted  with  the  providence 
of  God,  we  feel  an  assurance  that  nothing  happens  without  his  order, 
and  that,  happen  what  will,  "  all  things  work  together  for  good  to 
them  that  love  God."  This  gives  us  true  rest,  a  joy  which  nothing  is 
capable  of  disturbing. 

VIII.    REMARK  THE  TIME  OF  A  WORD  OR  ACTION. 

For  example,  St.  Paul  in  his  first  epistle  to  Timothy  requires,  that 
in  the  public  services  of  the  church  prayers  should  be  made  for  all 
men ;  but  "  first  for  kings,  and  for  those  that  were  in  authority." 
Here  it  is  very  natural  to  remark  the  time.  It  was  when  the  church 
and  the  apostles  were  every  where  persecuted  ;  when  the  faithful 
were  the  objects  of  the  hatred  and  calumny  of  all  mankind,  and  in 
particular  of  the  cruelty  of  these  Tyrants.  Yet  none  of  this  rough 
treatment  could  stop  the  course  of  Christian  charity.  St.  Paul  not 
only  requires  every  believer  to  pray  for  all  men  ;  but  he  would  have 
it  done  \n  public,  that  all  the  world  might  know  the  maxims  of  Chris- 
tianity, always  kind,  patient,  and  benevolent.  Believers  consider 
themselves  as  bound  in  duty  to  all  men,  though  men  do  nothing  to 
oblige  them  to  it.  He  was  aware,  malicious  slanderers  would  call 
this  worldiy  policy  and  human  prudence,  and  would  say,  Christians 
only  meant  to  flatter  the  great,  and  to  court  their  favour;  yet  even 
this  calumny  does  not  prevent  St.  Paul  ;  he  orders  them  to  pray  puh- 
lichj,  ^Xi'^  first  for  civil  governors.  We  ought  always  to  discharge  our 
duty,  and,  for  the  rest,  submit  to  the  unjust  accounts  that  men  give  of 
our  conduct. 

IX.     OBSERVE  PLACE. 

St.  Paul  says  to  the  Philippians,  "  forgetting  the  things  which  are 
behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press 
toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  ,God  in  Christ 
Je.sus."  Tlie  place,  where  he  writes  this,  furnishes  a  very  beautiful 
consideration.  He  was  then  in  prison,  at  Rome,  loaded  with  chains, 
and  deprived  of  his  liberty  ;  yet  he  speaks  as  if  he  were  as  much  at 
liberty  as  any  man  in  the  world  ;  as  able  to  act  as  he  pleased,  and  to 
dii^pose  of  himself  as  ever  :  he  talks  of  having  entered  a  course,  run- 
ning a  race,  forgetting  things  behind,  pressing  toward  those  that  were 


COiMI'OSlTION  OF  A  SERMON.  J  89 

betbie,  and,  in  short,  of  hoping  to  gain  a  prize  ;  all  these  are  actions 
of  a  man  enjoying  full  liberty.  How  could  he,  who  was  in  a  prison, 
be  at  the  same  time  on  a  race-course  ?  how  could  he  run,  who  was 
loaded  with  irons  ?  how  could  he  hope  to  win  a  prize,  who  every  day 
expected  a  sentence  of  death?  But  it  is  not  difficult  to  reconcile  these 
things  :  his  bonds  and  imprisonment  did  not  hinder  the  course  of  his 
faith  and  obedience.  His  prison  was  converted  into  an  agreeable 
Stadium,  and  death  for  the  Gospel  might  well  be  considered  under 
the  image  of  a  complete  victory  ;  for  a  Martyr  gains  an  unfading 
crown  as  a  reward  of  his  sufferings. 

X.     CONSIDER  THE  PERSONS  ADDRESSED. 

Let  us  again  take  St.  Paul's  words  for  an  example.  "  Recompense 
to  no  man  evil  for  evil,"  Rom.  xii.  17.  They,  to  whom  the  apostle 
addressed  these  words,  were  Ronums,  whose  perpetual  maxim  was  vi- 
olently to  revenge  public  injuries,  and  totally  to  destroy  those,  who 
intended  to  destroy  them,  or  had  offered  them  any  affronts  ;  witness 
the  Carthaginians  and  Corinthians.  They  totally  destroyed  Car- 
thage, because  she  had  carried  her  arms  into  Italy  by  Hannibal's 
means,  and  had  been  upon  the  point  of  ruining  Rome.  Corinth  they 
sacked  and  burnt  for  having  affronted  their  ambassadours.  You  may 
also  remark  this  particular  circumstance  ;  that,  although  the  Romans 
had  succeeded  in  avenging  their  injuries,  and  the  empire  owed  its 
grandeur  to  such  excesses,  yet  their  success  did  not  liinder  the  apos- 
tle from  saying,  "  Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil ;"  because  nei- 
ther examples  nor  successes  ought  to  be  the  rules  of  our  conduct,  but 
solely  the  will  of  God,  and  the  law  of  Christianity. 

XI.     EXAMINE  THE  PARTICULAR  STATE  OF  PERSONS  ADDRESSED. 

For  example,  "Recompense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil."  St.  Paul 
writes  to  Romans ;  but  to  Roman  Christians,  who  saw  themselves 
hated  and  persecuted  by  their  fellow  citizens,  and  in  general  abused 
by  the  whole  world.  Yet,  however  reasonable  resentment  might  ap- 
pear at  first  sight,  the  apostle  would  not  have  them  obey  such  passions 
as  the  light  of  reason,  the  instinct  of  nature,  and  the  desire  of  their 
own  preservation  might  seem  to  excite  :  he  exhorted  them  to  leave 
vengeance  to  God,  and  advised  them  only  to  follow  the  dictates  of 
love.  The  greatest  persecutors  of  the  primitive  Christians  were  the 
Jews,  on  whom  the  Roman  Christians  could  easily  have  avenged 
themselves  under  various  pretexts ;  for  the  Jews  were  generally  hated 
and  despised  by  all  other  nations,  and  nothing  could  be  easier  than  to 
avail  themselves  of  that  public   hatred,  to   which  the  religion  of  the 


199  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

Jews  exposed  ihem.  Nevertheless,  St.  Paul  not  only  says  in  general, 
"  Render  not  evil  for  evil ;"  but  in  particular,  "  Recompense  to  no  man 
evil  for  evil."  As  if  he  had  said.  Do  not  injure  those,  on  whom  you 
eould  most  easily  avenge  yourselves;  hurt  not  the  most  violent  ene- 
mies of  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  the  Christian  profession  ;  not 
even  those,  who  have  crucified  your  Saviour,  and  every  day  strive  to 
destroy  his  gospel. 

XII.    CONSIDER  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  A  WORD  OR  ACTION. 

For  example,  John  v.  14.  "  Behold  !  thou  art  made  whole  ;  sin 
no  more,  lest  a  worse  thing  come  unto  thee."  This  was  the  language 
of  Jesus  Clirist  to  the  man  whom  he  had  just  before  healed  of  an  in- 
firmity of  thirty  eight  years'  standing.  Him  Jesus  now  found  in  the 
temple.  It  is  not  imaginable  that  this  meeting  was  fortuitous,  and 
unforeseen  to  Jesus  Christ ;  his  providence,  no  doubt,  conducted  the 
man  that  way,  directed  him  to  the  temple,  whither  he  himself  went  to 
seek.  him.  Examine  then,  upon  w\vAi princ'qdes  Jesus  Christ  went  to 
seek  this  miserable  sinner. 

In  like  manner,  if  you  had  to  exan)iiie  these  words  of  Jesus  Christ 
to  the  Samaritan  woman,  "  Go,  and  call  thy  husband,"  John  iv.  You 
might  examine  the  intention  of  Jesus  Christ  in  this  expression.  He 
did  not  speak  thus,  because  he  was  ignorant  what  sort  of  a  life  this 
woman  lived  ;  he  knew  that,  to  speak  proi)erIy,  she  had  no  husband. 
It  was  then,  I.  A  word  of  trial ;  for  the  Lord  said  this  to  give  her  an 
opportunity  of  making  a  free  confession,  I  have  no  husband.  2.  It  was 
also  a  word  of  kind  reproof;  for  he  intended  to  convince  her  of  the 
sin  in  which  she  lived.  3,  It  was  also  a  word  of  grace  ;  for  the  cen- 
sure tended  to  the  woman's  consolation.  4.  It  was  farther  a  word  of 
wisdom;  for  our  Lord  intended  to  take  occasion  at  this  meeting  to 
discover  himself  to  her,  and  more  clearly  to  convince  her,  that  he  had 
a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  the  secrets  of  her  life,  as  he  presently  prov- 
ed by  saying,  "  Thou  hast  well  said,  I  have  no  husband ;  for  thou 
liast  had  five  husbands,  and  he,  whom  thou  hast  now,  is  not  thy  hus- 
band. 

Were  you  going  to  explain  the  ninth  verse  of  the  first  of  Acts, 
where  it  is  said,  "  When  Jesus  was  taken  up,  his  disciples  beheld 
him,"  it  would  be  proper  to  remark  the  sentiments  of  the  disciples  in 
that  moment,  and  to  show  from  what  principles  proceeded  that  atten- 
tive and  earnest  looking  after  their  divine  Master,  while  he  ascended 
to  heaven. 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  191 

Xlir.    CONSIDER  CONSEairENCES. 

Thus,  when  you  explain  the  doctrine  of  God's  mercy,  it  is  expedi- 
ent (at  least  sometimes)  to  remark  the  good  and  lawful  uses,  which 
we  ought  to  make  of  it.  These  uses  are,  to  renounce  ourselves  ;  to 
be  sensible  of  our  infinite  obligations  to  God,  who  pardons  so  many 
sins  with  so  much  bounty  ;  to  consecrate  ourselves  entirely  to  his 
service,  as  persons  over  whom  he  has  acquired  a  new  right ;  and  to 
labour  incessantly  for  his  glory,  in  gratitude  for  what  he  has  done  for 
our  salvation. 

You  may  also  observe  the  false  and  pernicious  consequences, 
which  ungrateful  and  wicked  men,  who  sin  that  grace  may  abound, 
pretend  to  derive  from  this  doctrine.  They  say,  we  are  no  longer  to 
consider  justice  now  we  are  under  grace  ;  the  more  we  sin,  the  more 
God  will  be  glorified  in  pardoning  us  ;  this  mercy  will  endure  all  the 
time  of  our  lives  ;  and  therefore  it  will  be  enough  to  apply  to  it  at  the 
hour  of  death  ;  with  many  more  such  false  consequences,  which  must 
be  both  clearly  stated,  and  fully  refuted. 

It  is  much  the  same  with  the  doctrine  of  the  efficacious  grace  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  our  conversion  ;  for  the  just  and  lawful  consequen- 
ces, which  are  drawn  from  it,  are,  1.  That  such  is  the  greatness  of 
our  depravity,  it  can  be  rectified  only  by  almighty  aid.  2.  That  we 
should  be  humble,  because  there  is  nothing  good  in  us.  3.  That  we 
should  ascribe  all  the  glory  of  our  salvation  to  God,  who  is  the  only 
author  of  it.  4.  That  we  must  adore  the  depths  of  the  great  mercy  of 
our  God,  who  freely  gave  his  Holy  Spirit  to  convert  us. 

You  must  remark  at  the  same  time  the  abuses,  and  false  conse- 
quences, which  insidious  sophisters  draw  from  this  doctrine,  as  that 
since  the  conversion  of  men  is  by  the  almighty  power  of  God,  it  is 
needless  to  preach  his  word  ;  and  to  address  to  them  on  God's  part  ex- 
hortations, promises  and  threatenings;  that  it  is  in  vain  to  tell  a  sinner, 
it  is  his  duty  to  tarn  to  God,  as  without  efficacious  grace  (which  does 
not  depend  upon  the  sinner)  he  cannot  do  it ;  that  it  has  a  tendency 
to  make  men  negligent  about  their  salvation  to  tell  them,  it  does  not 
depend  on  their  power.  These,  and  such  like  abuses,  must  be  pro- 
posed and  solidly  refuted. 

Moreover,  this  method  must  be  taken,  when  you  have  occasion  to 
treat  of  the  doctrines  of  election  and  reprobation  ;  the  propitiatory  sa- 
crifice of  Christ's  blood  ;  and,  in  general,  almost  all  religious  subjects 
require  it ;  for  there  is  not  one  of  them  all,  which  is  not  subject  to 
use  and  abuse.  Take  care,  however,  when  you  propose  these  good 
and  bad  consequences,  that  you  do  it  properly,  and  when  an  occasion 


192  AN  ESi?AY  ON  THE 

naturally  presents  itself;  for  were  thoy  introduced  with  any  kind  of 
affectation  and  force,  it  must  be  disagreeable. 

XIV.     REFLECT  ON  THE  END  PROroSED  IN  AN  EXPREf^SION  OR  AN  ACTION. 

Although  this  is  not  very  different  from  the  way  of  principles,  of 
which  we  have  already  spoken,  yet  it  may  afford  a  variety  in  discussing 
them. 

If,  for  example,  you  were  speaking  of  justification,  in  the  sense  in 
which  St.  Paul  taught  it,  you  must  observe  the  ends,  which  the  apos- 
tle proposed,  as  1.  To  put  a  just  difference  between  Jesus  Christ  and 
Moses,  the  law  and  the  gospel,  and  to  show  against  those,  who  would 
blend  them  together,  and  so  confound  both  in  one  body  of  religion, 
that  they  cannot  be  so  united.  2.  To  preserve  men  from  that  phari- 
saical  pride,  which  reigned  among  the  Jews,  who  sought  to  establish 
their  own  righteousness,  and  not  the  righteousness  of  God.  3.  To  take 
away  such  inadequate  remedies  as  the  law  by  way  of  shadow  exhibit- 
ed for  the  expiation  of  sins;  as  sacrifices  and  purifications;  as  well 
as  those,  which  pagan  superstition  proposed^  such  as  washing  in 
spring  water,  offering  victims  to  their  gods,  &c.  4.  To  bring  men  to 
the  true  and  only  atonement  for  sin,  which  is  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

XV.  CONSIDER  WHETHER  THERE  BE  ANY  THING  REMARKADLE  IN  THE  MANNER 
OF  THE  SPEECH  OR  ACTION. 

For  example.  "  In  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors 
through  him  that  loved  us."  Rom.  viii.  37.  You  may  remark,  that 
there  is  a  more  than  ordinary  force  in  these  words,  ?nore  than  conquer- 
ors ;  for  they  express  an  heroical  triumph.  He  does  not  simply  say, 
We  bear  our  trials  with  patience  ;  he  not  only  says  we  shall  conquer 
in  this  conflict  ;  but  he  affirms.  We  arc  more  than  conquerors.  It  is 
much  that  faith  resists  trials  without  being  oppressed  ;  it  is  more  to 
conquer  these  trials  after  a  rude  combat  ;  but  to  affirm  the  believer 
shall  be  more  than  a  conqueror,  is  as  much  as  to  say,  he  shall  conquer 
without  a  combat,  and  triumph  without  resistance  ;  it  is  as  much  as 
to  say,  he  shall  make  trials  the  matter  of  his  joy  and  glory,  as  the 
apostle  says,  loc  glory  in  trihrdcdion,  considering  them  not  as  afflic- 
tions and  sorrows,  but  as  divine  honours  and  favours.  This  was  also 
the  apostle's  mind,  when  he  wrote  to  the  Philippians,  "  unto  you  it  is 
given  in  the  behalf  of  Christ,  not  only  to  believe  on  him,  but  also  to 
suffer  for  his  sake."  He  considers  sufferings  as  gifts  of  the  libe- 
rality of  God,  for  which  the  faithful  are  obliged  to  be  thankful.  So 
in  this  other  passage,  "  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,   nor  life, 


COMPOSITION  OP  A  SERMON.  193 

nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor 
things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature  shall 
be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord."  You  may  here  remark  the  heroism  and  magnanimity  of 
St.  Paul.  His  faith  seems  to  defy  all  the  powers  of  nature.  He  as- 
sembles them  SiW— life,  death,  angels,  &lc.  to  triumph  over  them,  and 
to  exult  in  their  defeat.  This  language  marks  a  full  persuasion  of  the 
favour  of  God,  and  an  invincible  confidence  in  his  love. 

Such  remarks  as  these  may  be  made  upon  many  expressions  of 
Jesus  Christ,  wherein  are  discovered  dignity  and  majesty,  which  can- 
not belong  to  any  mere  creature:  as  when  he  says,  "  Before  Abra- 
ham was,  I  am."  "  While  I  am  in  the  world  I  am  the  light  of  the 
world."  "  All  mine  are  thine,  and  thine  are  mine,  and  I  am  glorified 
in  them."  "  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me."  "  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do."  There  are  many  passages 
of  the  same  kind. 

XVI.      COMPARE  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS  WITH  SIMILAR  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS. 

The  Evangelist  speaks  of  "  the  things,  that  Jesus  began  to  do  and 
to  teach,"  Acts  i.  1.  Now  he  says  the  same  of  Moses,  "he  was 
mighty  in  words  and  in  deeds,"  Acts  vii.  22.  Here  you  may  observe, 
that  these  two  things  joined  together,  doing  and  teaching,  are  distin- 
guishing characters  of  a  true  prophet,  who  never  separates  practice 
from  doctrine.  You  may  then  make  an  edifying  comparison  between 
Moses  and  Jesus  Christ ;  both  did  and  taught ;  but  there  was  a  great 
difference  between  the  teaching  of  one  and  that  of  the  other.  One 
taught  justice,  the  other  mercy  ;  one  abased,  the  other  exalted  ;  one 
terrified,  the  other  comforted.  There  was  also  a  great  difference  be- 
tween the  deeds  of  the  one,  and  those  of  the  other.  Most  of  the  mira- 
cles of  Moses  were  miracles  of  destruction,  insects,  frogs,  hail,  and 
others  of  the  same  kind,  with  which  he  chastised  the  Egyptians.  But 
the  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ  were  always  miracles  oi  benevolence,  rais- 
ing the  dead,  giving  sight  to  the  blind,  &c. 

So  again,  when  the  infidelity  of  the  Jews  in  rejecting  the  Messiah 
is  discussed,  you  may  examine  their  prejudices  and  their  maxims,  as 
they  are  narrated  in  the  gospel ;  and  these  you  may  compare  with 
those  of  the  church  of  Rome  in  rejecting  the  reformation ;  for  they 
are  very  much  alike.  ~ 

So  again,  when  you  consider  St.  Paul's  answers  to  the  objections 
of  the  Jews,  who  pleaded  that  they  were  the  people  of  God,  and  that 
his  covenant  belonged  to  Abraham  and  his  posterity  ;  you  may  ob- 
25 


194 


AN  E«SAY  ON  THE 


serve,  that  these  answers  are  like  ours  to  the  Roman  church,  when 
they  affirm  they  are  the  church  of  God.  As  the  apostle  distinguisheth 
two  Israels,  one  after  the  flesh,  and  the  other  after  the  spirit,  so  we 
distinguish  two  churches  ;  one,  which  is  only  so  in  outward  profession 
before  men,  possessing  the  pulpits,  the  churches,  and  the  schools ;  and 
the  other,  which  is  the  church  in  the  sight  of  God,  having  a  holy  doc- 
trine, and  a  lively  faith.  These  answer  precisely  to  the  apostle's  "  Is- 
rael after  the  flesh,  and  Israel  after  the  spirit."  As  the  apostle  ap- 
plies the  promises  of  God,  and  their  accomplishment,  not  to  Israel  af- 
ter the  flesh,  but  to  the  Israelites  after  the  spirit,  so  we  also  apply  the 
promises,  which  God  has  made  to  his  church,  not  to  those  who  oc- 
cupy the  pul[)its,  the  churches,  and  the  schools  ;  but  to  them  who  be- 
lieve and  practise  the  pure  doctrine  of  the  gospel.  As  St.  Paul  de- 
fines the  true  people  of  God  to  be  those,  whom  God  by  his  electing 
love  hath  taken  from  among  men,  so  we  define  the  true  church  by  the 
same  electing  grace  ;  maintaining  that  the  Lord  has  made  all  the  ex- 
cellent promises,  with  which  scripture  abounds,  to  his  elect  only,  and 
that  his  elect  are  such  as  he  has  chosen  according  to  his  good  pleasure, 
without  any  regard  to  particular  places,  conditions,  or  qualifications 
among  men. 

XVII.    REMARK  THE  DIFFERENCES  OF  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS  ON    DIFFERENT 

OCCASIONS. 

When  a  weak  scrupulosity,  or  a  tenderness  of  conscience  was  in 
question,  which  put  some  of  the  faithful  upon  eating  only  herbs,  St. 
Paul  exhorted  the  strong  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak  ;  "  let 
not  him  that  eateth,  despise  him  that  eateth  not,  and  let  not  him, 
which  eateth  not,  judge  him  that  eateth  ;  for  God  hath  received  him." 
Rom.  xiv.  3.  But  when  the  same  St.  Paul  speaks  of  false  teachers, 
who  wanted  to  impose  a  yoke  on  conscience,  and  who  under  pretext 
of  meats  and  days  were  attempting  to  join  Moses  with  Jesus  Christ,  as 
if  Christians  were  yet  obliged  to  observe  the  ceremonial  law,  then 
the  apostle  has  no  patience  with  them,  but  condemns  and  anathema- 
tizes them,  as  people  who  preached  another  gospel,  and  exhorts  the 
faithful  to  "  stand  fast  in  the  liberty,  wherewith  Christ  had  made  them 
free,  and  not  to  be  entangled  again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage."  Gal. 
V.  1. 

So  again,  when  you  find  in  the  gospel,  that  Jesus  Christ  sometimes 
forbade  his  disciples  to  publish  the  miracles  that  he  wrought,  and  to 
declare  his  divinity  ;  and,  at  other  times,  that  he  ordered  them  to  pub- 
lish upon  the  house-tops  what  they  had  heard  in  imv  ate,  and  to  preach 
to  all  nations  the  mysteries  of  his  kingdom,  you  must  remark,  that 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  195 

this  difference  is  owing  to  different  occasions.  While  Jesus  Christ 
was  upon  earth,  the  mysteries  of  his  kingdom  were  covered  with  the 
veil  of  his  humiliation,  it  being  necessary  in  some  sense  to  conceal 
them ;  but  after  his  exaltation,  it  became  proper  to  publish  them  to 
the  whole  earth. 

The  same  diversity  may  be  remarked  in  what  the  Lord  Jesus  said 
to  the  Canaanitish  woman  ;  that  he  was  "  only  sent  to  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel ;"  and  that  it  was  "  not  meet  to  give  the  chil- 
dren's bread  to  dogs."  This  seems  contrary  to  an  almost  infinite 
number  of  passages  of  scripture,  which  affinn,  Jesus  Christ  is  "  the 
light  of  the  Gentiles  ;  to  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be." 
These,  and  all  other  such  passages,  will  perfectly  agree,  if  you  distin- 
guish time  and  occasion.  While  Jesus  Christ  was  upon  earth,  he 
was  the  minister  of  the  circumcision,  as  St.  Paul  speaks,  that  is,  his 
personal,  ministerial  commission  was  only  to  the  Jews:  but  when  he 
was  exalted  to  glory,  his  ministry  extended  over  the  whole  earth. 

XVIII.    CONTRAST  WORDS  AND  ACTIONS, 

Thus  you  may  oppose  the  agonies  and  terrors,  which  seized  Jesus 
Christ  at  the  approach  of  death,  against  the  constancy  and  joy  of  the 
martyrs,  who  flew  to  martyrdom  as  to  a  victory.  This  contrariety  of 
emotions  is  accounted  for  by  the  difference  of  the  persons.  Jesus 
Christ  was  the  Mediator  of  men  towards  God,  bearing  their  sins,  and 
engaging  with  the  eternal  justice  of  his  Father  :  but  the  martyrs  were 
believers,  reconciled  to  God,  fighting  under  Christ's  banner,  and  as 
mystical  soldiers  maintaining  his  righteous  claims.  One  was  filled 
with  a  sense  of  God's  wrath  against  men  :  the  others  were  filled  with 
a  sense  of  his  love.  Christ  met  death  as  an  armed  enemy,  and  as 
one  who,  till  that  time,  had  a  right  to  triumph  over  mankind  ;  but 
martyrs  approached  him  as  a  vanquished  enemy,  or  rather  as  an  en- 
emy reconciled,  who  having  changed  his  nature  was  become  more  fa- 
vourable to  men.  In  one  word,  Jesus  Christ  was  at  war  with  death  : 
whereas,  death  was  at  peace  and  in  friendship  with  the  martyrs. 

In  general,  we  may  afl[irm,  that  contrast  is  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful topics  of  Christian  rhetoric  ;  and  that  which  furnishes  the  most 
striking  illustrations.  Great  care,  however,  must  be  taken,  that  the 
oppositions  be  natural,  easy  to  comprehend,  and  properly  placed  in  a 
full,  clear  light. 

XIX.    EXAMINE  THE  GROUNDS,  OR  CAUSES  OF  AN  ACTION  OR  AN  EXPRESSION; 
AND  SHOW  THE  TRUTH  OR  EUUITY  OF  IT. 

For  example.  When  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ  is  in  ques- 
tion, as  in  this  text,  the  tvord  teas  made  flesh,   you  may   recur   to  the 


196  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

foundations  of  this  truth,  as  revealed  in  scripture,  in  order  to  show 
that  a  divine  person  did  take  upon  him  real,  true  humanity,  in  op- 
position to  the  notions  of  some  ancient  heretics,  who  imagined  that 
the  human  nature  of  Christ  was  only  apparent.  For  this  purpose,  you 
must  look  into  the  ancient  prophecies  for  such  passages  as  attribute 
two  natures,  the  human  and  divine,  to  the  one  person  of  the  Messiah. 

To  the  same  purpose  you  may  also  apply  New  Testament  texts, 
which  speak  of  the  same  subject ;  and  you  may  farther  observe  such 
reasons  of  this  singular  economy,  as  theology  furnisheth,  and  which 
are  taken  from  the  design  of  our  salvation. 

In  like  manner,  when  you  treat  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  or 
his  ascension  to  heaven,  you  must  take  this  topic,  and  show  the  fidel- 
ity and  credibility  of  the  testimony  borne  by  his  apostles.  Your  ar- 
gument may  be  established  by  observing  what  followed  his  resurrec- 
tion and  ascension  ;  as  the  effusion  of  the  Spirit,  the  abolition  of  the 
empire  of  the  devil  and  his  idols,  the  conversion  of  whole  nations 
to  the  worship  of  the  one  true  God,  miracles,  prophecies,  &-c. 

The  same  method  is  proper,  when  some  predictions  are  your  sub- 
jects;  as  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews  : 
for  you  may  either  narrate  history  to  show  the  execution,  or  you  may 
reason  upon  the  subject  to  show  how  wonderful  the  divine  wisdom 
was  in  that  dispensation  :  the  whole  will  evince  the  truth  of  the  pre- 
dictions. 

I  said  also,  the  grounds  and  causes  of  an  action  or  expression 
might  be  examined,  to  show  the  equity  and  truth  of  either.*     This 

*  Thus  Massillon  persuades  to  a  life  of  piety,  though  accompanied  with 
many  disgustful  circumstances;  John  x.  31.  "Then  the  Jews  took  up  stones 
to  stone  him.'"  These  were  the  returns  of  gratitude  which  Jesus  Christ  receiv- 
ed of  men  ;  these  the  consolations  with  which  heaven  permitted  him  to  be  ex- 
ercised in  the  painful  course  of  his  ministry.  At  one  time  they  treated  him  as 
a  Samaritan,  as  one  that  had  a  devil ;  at  another  "  they  took  up  stones  to 
stone  him."  And  thus  the  Son  of  God  passed  the  whole  time  of  his  life,  al- 
ways exposed  to  the  most  obstinate  contradictions,  meeting  with  almost  none 
but  such  as  were  insensible  of  his  benefit,  and  rebellious  against  his  preaching  ; 
and  all  this  writhout  his  letting  fall  the  least  sign  of  impatience,  or  the  least 
complaint. 

But  must  I  add  ?  We,  my  brethren  !  we  his  members  and  disciples,  alas  ! 
the  smallest  dipgusts,  the  least  oppositions  we  meet  with,  in  the  practice  of  pi- 
ety, offend  our  delicacy  !  Nothing  is  to  be  heard  but  complaining  and  murmur- 
ing, when  we  cease  to  taste  those  pleasing  attractions,  which  render  duty  a 
delight.  Tossed  and  distressed,  we  are  almost  tempted  to  abandon  God,  and 
return  to  the  world,  as  to  a  gentler  and  more  convenient  master;  in  short,  we 
would  have  nothing  but  comforts  and  pleasures  in  the  service  of  God  ! 

But  we  ought  to  abide  in  a  course  of  obedience,  though  we  do  meet  with 
disgusts  :  Because, — disgusts  are  inevitable  in  this  lifn  ;  those  oi piety  are  not 
so  bitti.r  as  we  imsi^ine  ;  they  are  less  than  those  of  the  icorld  ;  and,  lastly, 
let  them  be  as  great  as  they  may,  pious  people  have  resources  which  world- 
lings have  not.  MASSiLr.o.v. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  197 

principally  takes  place,  when  any  thing  surprising  and  uncommon  is 
in  question ;  for  such  things  at  first  seem  to  shock  the  minds  of  audi- 
tors ;  or  when  you  are  pressing  home  an  exhortation  to  the  practice 
of  any  duty,  which  cannot  be  performed  without  difficulty.  For  ex- 
ample :  The  Pharisees  complain  in  the  gospel,  that  the  disciples  of 
Christ  did  not  keep  the  traditions  of  the  elders.  In  order  to  justify 
the  disciples,  show  the  foundations  of  Christian  liberty,  and  remark, 
that  the  true  worship  of  God  does  not  consist  in  the  observation  of 
external  ceremonies,  much  less  in  the  observation  of  human  tradi- 
tions and  customs  :  but  it  consists  of  true  piety,  real  inward,  holi- 
ness, and  actual  obedience  to  the  commandments  of  God. 

So  again,  when  Jesus  Christ,  after  he  had  healed  the  paralytic 
man,  commanded  him  to  "  sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse  thing  should 
come  unto  him."  You  must  go  to  the  grounds  of  the  expression,  to 
show  its  equity.  Now  these  are,  that  some  sins  had  drawn  the  wrath 
of  God  upon  him  before — that,  if  he  continued  in  them,  that  wrath 
would  certainly  return — that  the  favours,  which  we  receive  from  God, 
engage  us  to  glorify  him  by  goocj  works,  &z,c.  This  topic  is  of  great 
use  in  explaining  the  commandments  of  the  law,  the  equity  of  which 
must  be  made  to  appear  ;  for  it  must  be  proved,  that  they  are  all 
founded  in  nature,  and  have  an  inviolable  fitness  in  the  order  of 
things. 

In  short,  it  is  proper  to  take  this  method  with  all  exhortations  to 
piety,  charity,  &.c.  which  are  found  in  scripture.  In  order  to  per- 
suade people  to  the  practice  of  them,  their  fitness  must  be  showed,  bv 
opening  the  grounds,  reasons,  and  principles  of  our  obligations  to  the 
practice  of  all  these  virtues. 

XX.    REMARK  THE  GOOD  AND  BAD  IN  EXPRESSION.S  AND  ACTIONS. 

This  topic  is  of  very  great  use  in  explaining  the  histories  record- 
ed in  the  gospel,  where  you  will  frequently  find  actions  and  words, 
which  may  be  called  mixed;  because,  in  general,  they  proceed  from 
some  good  principles,  and,  in  particular,  they  have  a  good  deal  of 
weakness  and  infirmity  in  them.  If  you  would  explain  Matt.  xvi.  22. 
"  Then  Peter  took  him,  and  began  to  rebuke  him,  saying,  Be  it  far 
from  thee,  Lord,  this  shall  not  be  unto  thee;"  you  may  observe  what 
there  is  good  and  what  bad  in  this  expression  of  St.  Peter.  1.  You 
see  herein  his  love  to  his  master  ;  for  his  not  being  able  to  bear  the 
discourse  of  Jesus  Christ  concerning  his  sufferings  at  Jerusalem, 
could  only  proceed  from  his  ardent  affection  to  him.  2.  Herein  ap- 
pears not  that  cold  and  lukewarm  regard,  which  most  men  have  for 
one  another,  but  a  most  Uvdij  affection,  interesting  him    for   his  mas- 


198  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

ter,  an  affection  full  of  tenderness,  which  coiild  not  even  bear  to  hear 
a  word,  or  entertain  a  thought  about  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  3.  You 
may  observe  an  honest  freadom,  which  put  him  upon  freely  addressing 
Jesus  Christ  himself,  using  that  familiar  access,  which  his  condescen- 
sion allowed  his  disciples,  without  a  mixture  of  mean  and  despicable 
timidity.  4.  You  see,  in  fine,  a  strong  faith  in  his  master's  power, 
as  by  addressing  him  he  seems  persuaded,  that  it  depended  only  on 
himself  to  suffer  or  not  to  suffer;  "Lord,  be  it  far  from  thee,  this 
shall  not  be  unto  thee."  Now,  these  are  good  dispositions.  Here 
follow  the  had  ones.  I.  Peter  discovers  gross  ignorance  of  the  ways 
of  divine  wisdom  in  sending  Jesus  Christ  into  the  world  ;  for  he  does 
not  seem  yet  to  know,  that  Jesus  Christ  must  needs  suffer;  and  with 
this  ignorance  the  Lord  reproaches  him  in  the  next  verse,  "  Thou 
savourest  not  the  things,  which  are  of  God  ;  but  those,  which  are  of 
men."  2.  His  love  to  his  master  had  something  merely  human  and 
carnal  in  it,  since  he  only  considered  the  preservation  of  his  temporal 
life,  and  concerned  himself  only  about  his  body,  instead  of  elevating 
his  mind  to  that  superior  glory  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  was  to  follow 
his  sufferings,  or  considering  the  great  work  of  man's  salvation,  to 
perform  wliich  he  came  into  the  world.  3.  You  may  also  remark  a 
troublesome  and  criminal  boldness.  He  means  to  be  wiser  than  Je- 
sus Christ,  "  Peter  took  him,"  says  the  evangelist,  "  and  began  to 
rebuke  him,  saying.  Be  it  far  from  thee."  Rash  attempt!  as  if  Peter 
were  called  into  the  counsel  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ  his  Son,  to  give 
his  opinion  concerning  this  grand  affair.  4.  It  even  seems  as  if  Pe- 
ter, hearing  Christ  speak  of  his  sufferings,  imagined,  this  discourse 
proceeded  only  from  his  fear  of  death,  and  from  a  mean  timidity  ;  for 
he  aims  to  encourage  and  comfort  him  as  we  do  persons  whose  fears 
exceed  the  bounds  of  reason.  ''  Lord  !"  says  he,  "  be  it  far  from  thee, 
this  shall  not  be  to  thee  ;"  as  if  he  had  said  to  him.  Do  not  afflict 
yourself,  your  apprehensions  of  death  are  groundless,  nothing  of  this 
is  like  to  happen  to  you. 

XXI.    SUPPOSE  THrNGS. 

This  topic  is  principally  used  in  controversy.  For  example  : 
When  you  are  speaking  of  the  merit  of  good  works,  you  may  take 
this  way  of  supposition,  and  say,  Let  us  suppose,  that  Jesus  Christ 
and  his  apostles  held  the  doctrines  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and  that 
they  believed,  men  merited  eternal  life  by  their  good  works  :  let  us 
suppose,  that  they  intended  to  teach  us  this  doctrine  in  the  gospels 
and  epistles  ;  tell  me,  I  beseech  you,  if  upon   this  supposition  (which 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  199 

is  precisely  what  our  adversaries  pretend)  they  ousht  to  have  affirm- 
ed what  they  hare  ?  Tell  me,  pray,  do  you  believe  yourself  well  and 
sufficiently  instructed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  merit  of  good  works, 
when  you  are  told,  "  when  you  have  done  all  these  things,  ye  are 
unprofitable  servants  ?"  Again,  when  the  example  of  a  miserable 
publican  is  proposed  to  you,  who  prays,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner,"  who  smiles  his  breast,  and  dares  not  lift  his  eyes  to  heaven  ; 
when  he  is  placed  in  opposition  to  a  Pharisee,  glorying  in  his  works; 
and  when  you  are  informed,  the  first  went  down  "to  his  house  just- 
ified rather  than  the  other" — when  you  are  told,  "  if  it  be  by  grace, 
it  is  no  more  of  works,  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace ;  if  it  be  by 
works,  it  is  no  more  grace,  otherwise  work  is  no  more  work  ;"  when 
you  are  told,  "  you  are  saved  by  grace  through  faith,  and  that  not  of 
yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God" — when  you  are  assured,  you  are 
"justified  freely  by  grace,  through  the  redemption,  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast" — when  you  hear,  that 
"  to  him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him,  that  justifieth  the 
ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness" — when  you  are  taught 
to  believe,  "  the  wages  of  sin  is  death,  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal 
life" — tell  me,  I  once  more  intreat  you,  can  you  persuade  yourself 
that  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles,  by  all  these  means,  intended  to 
teach  you,  that  man  acquires  justification,  and  a  right  to  eternal  life, 
by  the  merit  of  his  works  1 

You  may  also  make  such  suppositions  in  morality  as  well  as  in 
controversy,  in  order  to  give  greater  weight  to  your  exhortations.* 

XXir.    GUARD  AGAtNST  OBJECTIONS. 

There  are  very  few  texts  of  scripture  where  this  topic  may  not  be 
made  use  of;  and  it  is  needless  to  mention  examples,  they  will  occur 
10  every  one  without  much  reflection. 

Remark,  however,  objections  must  be  natural,  and  popular,  not  far- 
fetched, nor  too  philosophical ;  in  a  word,  they  must  be  such  as  it  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  observe  and  refute. 

*  Bishop  Massillo.n's  sermon  on  Christ's  divinity,  is  formed  on  this  plau 

'  If  Jesus  Christ  were  only  a  mere  man, 

I.  The  glory  of  his  ministry  would  be  an  inevitable  occasion  of  idolatry  to 
us.  An  illustrious  person  was  expected  by  all  mankind  ;  promised  by  the 
prophets  ;  his  birth,  life,  miracles,  &;c.  were  ail  grand,  glorious,  and  unheard 
of,  and  all  corresponding  with  prophecy. 

II.  The  *^jrx7  of  his  ministry  would  become  a  dreadful  snare  to  our  inno- 
cence. He  preached  and  practised  holiness,  as  even  they  who  deny  his  divin- 
ity own.  The  world  received  numberless  advantages,  in  consequence  of  his 
coming.  He  foretold  many  events  since  fulfilled.  If  then  we  own  the  truth 
of  the  Bible,  we  must  own  his  divinity."  Mass.  Serm.  ^dvtnt. 


200  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

They  must  be  proposed  in  a  clear  and  simple  style,  without  rhe» 
torical  exaggerations  ;  yet  not  unadorned  nor  unafFecting. 

I  think,  it  is  never  advisable  to  state  objections,  and  defer  the  an- 
swers to  them  till  another  opportunity  ;  answer  them  directly,  forci- 
bly, and  fully. 

Here,  it  may  be  asked,  whether,  in  stating  objections  to  be  an- 
swered, it  be  proper  to  propose  them  altogether  at  once,  and  then 
come  to  the  answers  ;  or  whether  they  should  be  proposed  and  an- 
swered one  by  one  ?  I  suppose  discretional  good  sense  must  serve 
for  both  guide  and  law  upon  this  subject.  If  three  or  four  objections 
regard  only  one  part  of  the  text,  if  each  may  be  proposed  and  answer- 
ed in  a  few  words,  it  would  not  be  amiss  to  propose  these  objections 
altogether,  distinguishing  them  however  by  first,  second,  and  third  ; 
this  may  be  done  agreeably ;  but  if  these  objections  regard  cUjferent 
parts  of  the  text,  or  different  matters,  if  they  require  to  be  proposed 
at  full  length,  and  if  it  would  also  take  some  time  to  answer  them,  it 
would  be  impertinence  to  propose  them  all  together :  in  such  a  case 
they  must  be  proposed  and  answered  apart. 

XXIII.  CONSIDER  CHARACTERS  OF  MAJESTY,  MEANNESS,  INFIRMITY,  NECESSITY 
UTILITY,  EVIDENCE,  &c. 

Majesty  and  magnanimity. 

Take  an  example  of  this  from  John  xiv.  1.  "  Let  not  your  heart 
be  troubled  ;  you  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me."  These  words 
are  characterised  by  a  majesty,  which  exalts  Jesus  Christ  above  all 
ordinary  pastors,  and  above  all  the  prophets  ;  for  who  beside  the  Son 
of  God  could  say,  "  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me  ?"  These 
words  equal  Jesus  Christ  to  the  eternal  Father,  and  make  him  the 
object  of  our  faith  and  confidence  as  well  as  the  Father  ;  for  they  im- 
ply that  faithful  souls  may  repose  an  entire  confidence  in  his  power, 
protection,  and  government,  and  that  the  shadow  of  his  wings  will 
dissipate  the  sorrows  of  their  minds,  and  leave  no  more  room  for  fear. 

You  see  also  a  character  of  tenderness  and  infinite  love  towards 
his  disciples,  which  appears  in  the  assurance  with  which  he  inspires 
them,  and  in  the  promise  which  he  tacitly  makes  them,  of  always 
powerfully  supporting,  and  never  forsaking  them.  The  same  charac- 
ters, or  others  like  them,  may  be  observed  in  all  this  discourse  of  our 
Saviour,  which  goes  on  to  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  chapter.  As  in 
these  words,  "  I  am  the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life  ;"  in  these,  "  He 
that  hath  seen  me,  Philip,  hath  seen  the  Father ;"  in  these,  "  What- 
soever ye  ask  in  my  name  I  will  do  it ;"  and  again  in  these,  "  I  will 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  201 

not  leave  you  orphans:  I  will  come  to  you."  In  general  we  see,  al- 
most in  every  verse,  majesty,  tenderness,  love  of  holiness,  confidence 
of  victory,  and  other  such  characters,  which  it  is  important  to  remark. 

Meanness  and  infirmity. 

You  will  very  often  observe  characters  of  meanness  and  infirmity 
in  the  words  and  actions  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ.  As  when 
they  asked  him,  "  Wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom 
to  Israel?"  Acts.  i.  6.  You  see,  even  after  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ,  tliey  were  full  of  that  low  and  carnal  idea,  which  they  had 
entertained,  of  a  temporal  Messiah. 

You  also  see  a  rask  curiosity  in  their  desiring  to  know  the  times 
and  seasons  of  those  great  events,  which  God  thought  fit  to  conceal. 

Observe  again  Peter's  vision.  A  great  sheet  was  let  down 
from  heaven,  and  filled  with  all  sorts  of  animals  ;  a  voice  said  to  him, 
"  Rise  Peter,  kill  and  eat ;"  to  which  he  answered,  "  not  so.  Lord  ; 
for  I  have  never  eaten  any  thing  that  is  common  and  unclean."  You 
see  in  this  answer  an  over  scrupulous  conscience,  all  embarrassed 
with  legal  ceremonies ;  and  a  very  defective,  imperfect  knowledge  of 
gospel  liberty. 

There  is  almost  an  infinite  number  of  texts  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, where  such  infirmities  appear  ;  and  you  must  not  fail  to  remark 
them  in  order  to  prove;  1.  That  grace  is  compatible  with  much  hu- 
man weakness.  2.  That  heavenly  light  arises  by  degrees  upon  the 
mind,  and  that  it  is  with  the  new  man  as  with  the  natural  man,  who 
is  born  an  infant,  lisps  in  his  childhood,  and  arrives  at  perfection  in- 
sensibly and  by  little  and  little.  3.  That  the  strongest  and  farthest 
advanced  Christians  ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak,  since 
God  himself  does  not  "  break  the  bruised  reed,  nor  quench  the 
smoaking  flax."  This  he  was  pleased  to  exemplify  in  the  most  am- 
ple manner  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  was  upon  earth. 

Necessity. 

In  regard  to  necessity,  you  may  very  often  remark  this  in  explain- 
ing the  doctrines  of  religion ;  as  when  you  speak  of  the  mission  of 
Jesus  Christ  into  the  world  ;  of  his  familiar  conversation  with  men  ; 
of  his  death  ;  resurrection  ;  and  ascension  to  heaven,  &.C.;  for  you 
may  not  only  consider  the  truth,  but  also  the  necessity  of  each ;  and 
by  this  means  open  a  most  beautiful  field  of  theological  argument  and 
elucidation. 

26 


202  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

The  same  may  be  affirmed  of  sending  the  Comforter,  that  is  the 
Holy  Ghost,  into  the  world  ;  in  explaining  these  words,  "  I  will  pray 
the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  comforter."  John  xiv.  16. 
You  may  very  properly  consider  the  necessity  of  this  comforter ;  ei- 
ther because  without  his  light  and  help  we  can  never  release  ourselves 
from  the  bondage  of  sin  and  Satan  ;  or  because  without  his  assistance, 
all  that  Jesus  Christ  has  done  in  the  economy  of  salvation  would  be 
entirely  useless  to  us.  You  may  also  observe  the  necessity  of  his 
sternal  abode  with  us  ;  because  it  is  not  enough  to  be  once  converted 
by  his  efficacious  jjower  ;  we  need  his  continual  presence  and  effica- 
cy, to  carry  on  and  finish  the  work  of  sanctification  ;  otherwise  we 
should  quickly  relapse  into  our  first  condition. 

Utiliti/. 
Where  a  thing  does  not  appear  absolutely  necessary,  you  may  re- 
mark its  utiliti/ ;  as,  in  some  particular  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ ;  in 
some  peculiar  afflictions  of  the  faithful ;  in  the  manner  in  which  St. 
Paul  was  converted  ;  and  in  an  infinite  number  of  subjects  which 
present  themselves  to  the  preacher  to  be  discussed. 

Evidence. 
Evidence  must  be  particularly  pressed  in  articles  which  are  dis- 
puted, or  which  are  likely  to  be  controverted.  For  example  ;  were 
you  to  treat  of  the  second  commandment  in  opposition  to  the  custom 
and  practice  of  worshipping  images  in  the  church  of  Rome,  you  should 
press  the  evidence  of  the  words.  As,  1.  It  has  pleased  God  to  place 
this  command  not  in  some  obscure  part  of  revelation,  but  in  the  mov- 
ed law ;  in  that  law,  every  word  of  which  he  caused  to  proceed  from 
the  midst  of  the  flames.  2.  He  uses  not  only  the  term  image,  hat 
likeness,  and  specifies  even  the  likeness  of  all  the  things  in  the  world, 
of  those  which  are  in  heaven  above,  of  those  which  are  in  the  earth  be- 
neath, and  of  those  which  are  under  the  earth.  3.  In  order  to  pre- 
vent all  the  frivolous  objections  of  the  human  mind,  he  goes  yet  far- 
ther, not  only  forbidding  the  loorshipping  of  them,  but  also  the  mak- 
ing use  of  them  in  any  manner  of  way  ;  and,  which  is  more,  he  even 
forbids  the  making  of  them.  Thou  shall  not  bow  down  thyself  to  them. 
Thou  shall  not  sei-ve  them.  Thou  shall  not  make  unto  thee  any  grav- 
en image,  &c.  4.  Add  to  all  this,  that  the  Lord  subjoined  the  high- 
est interests  to  enforce  it.  He  interested  herein  his  majesty,  his  cov- 
enant, and  his  infinite  power  ;  for  (says  he)  I  am  Jehovah  thy  God. 
He  goes  farther,  and  interests  his  jealousy,  that  is,   that  inexorable 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SKRMON. 


203 


justice,  which  avenges  affronts  oftered  to  his  •  love.  Yea,  in  order  to 
touch  us  still  more  sensibly,  he  even  goes  so  far  as  to  interest  our  chil- 
dren, threatening  us  with  that  terrible  wrath,  which  does  not  end  with 
the  parents,  but  passes  down  to  their  posterity.  What  could  the  Lord 
say  more  plainly  and  evidently,  to  show  that  he  would  suffer  no  im- 
age in  his  religious  worship  ?  After  all  this,  is  it  not  the  most  crim- 
inal presumption  to  undertake  to  distinguish,  in  order  to  elude  the 
force  of  this  commandment  ? 

You  may,  if  you  choose,  over  and  above  all  this,  add  Moses's  ex- 
plication of  this  command  in  the  fourth  of  Deuteronomy. 

You  may  also  use  the  same  character  of  evidence  when  you  ex- 
plain several  passages,  which  adversaries  abuse,  as  these  words,  "  this 
is  my  body  which  is  broken  for  you  ;"  and  these  in  the  sixth  of  John, 
"  eat  the  flesh  of  the  son  of  man  and  drink  his  blood  ;"  and  those 
passages  also  in  St.  James,  which  speak  of  justification  by  works  : 
for  in  treating  these  passages  in  opposition  to  the  false  senses,  which 
the  church  of  Rome  gives  of  them,  you  must  assemble  many  circum- 
stances, and  place  each  in  its  proper  light,  so  that  all  together  they 
may  diffuse  a  great  brightness  upon  the  text,  and  clearly  show  its  true 
sense.* 

XXIV.     REMARK  DEGREES. 

For  example,  Gal.  i.  8.  "  If  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach 
any  other  gospel  unto  you,  than  that,  which  we  have  preached  unto 
you,  let  him  be  accursed."  After  you  have  remarked  the  extreme 
force  and  significancy  of  the  words,  observe  that  the  apostle  denounc- 
ed an  anathema  twice,  even  denouncing  it  against  himself,  should  he 
ever  be  guilty  of  what  he  condemns,  denouncing  it  even  against  an 
angel  from  heaven  in  the  same  case. 

You  must  observe,  the  apostle  does  not  always  use  the  same  vehe- 
mence when  he  speaks  against  error.  In  the  fourteenth  of  the  epis- 
tle to  the  Romans  he  contents  himself  with  calling  those  weak  in  the 
/a<7/j,  who  would  eat  only  herbs,   and  exhorts  the  other  believers  to 

*  It  is  fashionable  with  many  divines,  to  boast  of  their  aversion  to  contro- 
Tersy,  and  to  make  a  merit  of  teaching  only  such  doctrines  as  are  not  disputa- 
ble. But  is  there  any  one  doctrine  of  natural  or  revealed  religion,  which  is 
not  controverted  ?  Does  not  every  deist  deny  our  bible,  and  every  atheist  the 
being  of  our  God  ?  A  man,  therefore,  who  determines  to  teach  only  undisput- 
ed articles,  determines,  ipso  facto,  to  teach  nothing  at  all. 

No  theological  subject  requires  more  accurate  investigation  than  this  arti- 
cle of  evidence.  Evidence  is  that  which  demonstrates.  Now  there  are  various 
kinds  and  decrees  of  evidence,  and  it  would  very  much  contribute  to  clear  a 
poiijt  in  debate,  were  disputants  first  of  all  to  agree  on  certain  data.,  or  what 
should  be  allowed  evidence  of  the  case  in  question.  Robinson'. 


204  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

bear  with  them.  In  the  third  chapter  of  the  first  to  the  Corinthians 
he  protests  to  those,  who  build  with  wood,  hay,  and  stubble  upon 
Christ  the  foundation,  that  their  work  should  be  burnt,  but  that  they 
should  be  saved,  though  it  should  be  as  by  fire.  In  the  seventeenth 
of  Acts  we  are  told,  his  spirit  loas  stirred,  when  he  saw  the  idolatry 
and  superstition  of  the  Athenians.  Elsewhere,  he  says,  "  if  any  man 
defile  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy."  In  all  these  there 
is  a  force ;  but  nothing  like  what  appears  in  these  reiterated  words, 
"  though  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  ary  other  gospel  to 
you,  than  that,  which  we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accurs- 
ed. As  we  said  before,  so  say  I  now  again,  If  any  man  preach  any 
other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached,  let  him  be 
accursed."  Why  so  ?  because  the  apostle  speaks  here  of  an  essential 
corruption  of  the  gospel,  which  the  false  apostles  aimed  at  in  the 
churches  of  Galatia  :  they  were  annihilating  the  grace  of  Christ  by 
associating  it  with  the  Mosaic  economy  ;  they  aimed  at  the  entire 
ruin  of  the  church  by  debasing  the  purity  of  the  gospel.  In  this  case 
the  conscience  of  this  good  man  could  contain  no  longer  ;  he  stretch- 
ed his  zeal  and  vehemence  as  far  as  possible ;  he  became  inexorable, 
and  pronounced  anathemas  ;  nothing  prevented  him,  neither  the  au- 
thority of  the  greatest  men,  no,  nor  yet  the  dignity  of  the  glorious  an- 
gels ;  "  if  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gospel,  let 
him  be  accursed." 

XXV.     OBSERVE  DIFFERENT  INTERESTS.* 

Thus  if  you  are  explaining  the  miracle,  which  Jesus  Christ  wrought 
in  the  Synagogue  on  a  Sabbath-day,  when  he  healed  the  withered 
hand  in  the  presence  of  the  Herodians  and  Pharisees,  you  may  re- 
mark the  different  interests  of  the  spectators  in  that  act  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  ;  for  on  the  one  hand,  Moses  and  his  religion  seemed  interested 
therein  two  ways :  1.  This  miracle  was  done  on  a  day,  in  which  Mo- 
ses had  commanded  them  to  do  no  manner  of  work.  And,  2.  This 
was  done  in  a  synagogue  consecrated  to  the  Mosaic  worship,  so  that 

*  Massillon,  ill  a  sermon  on  Christmas-day,  composes  by  this  topic — 
'God  and  man  are  interested  in  Christ^s birth." 

I.  Gud''s  glory  was  concerned.  For  idolatry  had  transferred  that  worship 
to  others,  which  was  due  only  to  him.  Formality  prevailed  among  the  Jews, 
and  they  rendered  him  a  service  not  worthy  of  him.  Philosophy  had  convey- 
ed away  the  glory  of  his  providence  and  eternal  wisdom.  Three  daring  in- 
sults, which  mankind  offered  to  God,  and  which  Christ  came  to  remove. 

II.  The  peace  of  mankind  was  interested  in  Christ's  birth,  for  they  had  rob- 
bed one  another  of  that,  by  pride,  by  voluptuousness,  by  revenge.  "  Christ's 
grace  heals  the  first,  his  doctrine  the  second,  his  example  the  last." 

Pour  Moel  Advtnt. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  205 

it  was  in  a  manner  insulting  Moses  in  his  own  house.  Farther,  the 
Hcrodians,  who  were  particularly  attached  to  the  person  of  Herod, 
either  tor  political  reasons,  or  for  some  others  unknown,  were  obliged 
to  be  offended  ;  for  this  miracle  had  a  tendency  to  prove  Christ's 
Messiahship,  and  thereby  (as  was  commonly  thought)  his  right  to  the 
kingdom  of  Israel ;  and  consequently,  this  must  blacken  the  memory 
of  Herod,  who  endeavoured  to  kiil  him  in  his  infancy.  The  Phari- 
sees were  no  less  interested  ;  for  they  considered  Christ  as  their  re- 
prover and  enemy,  and  could  not  help  being  very  much  troubled, 
whenever  they  saw  Jesus  Christ  work  a  miracle.  Observe  the  inter- 
est of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  his  concern  was  to  do  good,  wherever 
he  had  an  opportunity,  and  to  glorify  God  his  Father,  by  confirmincr 
the  word  of  his  gospel  by  acts  of  infinite  power.  T^\\e  poor  ajfdcted 
7nan  had  a  double  interest  in  it,  the  healing  of  his  body,  and  the  im- 
provement of  his  mind. 

Thus  this  action  of  Jesus  Christ,  having  divers  relations,  becomes 
as  it  were  a  point,  whence  many  lines  may  be  drawn,  one  on  this  side, 
another  on  that ;  and  hence  arise  the  different  remarks  which  may 
be  made  upon  it. 

XXVI.    DISTINGUISH— DEFINE— DIVIDE. 

To  speak  properly,  we  distinguish  when  we  consider  a  thing  in 
different  views.  As,  for  example.  Faith  is  considerable  either  objec- 
tively, or  subjectively.  In  the  view  of  its  object,  faith  is  the  work  of 
Jesus  Christ ;  his  word  and  cross  produce  it ;  for  take  away  the  death 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  there  is  no  more  faith.  His  resurrection  also  is 
the  cause  of  it ;  "  If  Jesus  Christ  be  not  risen  our  faith  is  vain,  we 
are  yet  in  our  sins."  But  if  you  consider  faith  in  regard  to  its  subject, 
or,  to  speak  more  properly,  in  regard  to  its  efficient  cause  producing 
it  in  the  subject,  it  is  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  again  (to  use 
the  same  example)  faith  may  be  considered  with  a  view  to  justifica- 
tion, or  with  a  view  to  sanctification.  In  the  first  view  it  is  opposed 
to  works  :  in  the  second  it  is  the  principle  and  cause  of  good  works  : 
it  contains  them  in  summary  and  abridgement. 

Thus  man  may  be  considered  with  a  view  to  civil  society  ;  so  he 
is  obliged  to  such  and  such  duties,  and  partakes  of  such  and  such  ad- 
vantages :  or  he  may  be  considered  with  regard  to  chnrch-felloteship ; 
and  so  he  is  subject  to  other  laws,  and  enjoys  other  privileges.  This 
custom  of  distinguishing  into  different  views  is  very  common  in 
preaching. 


206  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

Definition. 
This  is  sometimes  used  when  an  act  of  God   is  spoken  of,  as  the 
pardon  of  our  sins — the  justification   of  our  persons,  &lc. — or  when  a 
virtue  or  a  vice  is  in  question  ;  for   then   it  may    not   be   improper  to 
define. 

Division. 

This  either  regards  different  species  of  the  genus,  or  different 
parts  of  a  whole  ;  and  it  may  sometimes  be  used  profitably.  Thus  in 
speaking  of  God's  providence  in  general,  you  may  consider  the  extent 
of  that  providence  to  which  are  subject,  1.  Natural  causes.  2.  Con- 
tingent.    3.  Independent.     4.  Good  and  bad.     5.  Great  and  small. 

XXVII.    COMPARE  THE  DIFFERENT  PARTS  OF  THE  TEXT  TOGETHER. 

This  is  a  very  useful  topic ;  and  it  will  often  furnish  very  beauti- 
ful considerations,  if  we  know  how  to  make  a  proper  use  of  it.  For 
example,  in  this  text  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Romans,  "  There  is  therefore 
now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Chris,!  Jesus,  who  walk 
not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  spirit."  You  may  make  a  very  edify- 
ing comparison  between  this  last  part,  "  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh, 
but  after  the  spirit,"  with  the  first  part,  "  there  is  no  condemna- 
tion ;"  and  you  may  remark,  that  in  the  one,  the  apostle  expresses 
what  God  does  in  favour  of  the  faithful,  and  in  the  other  what  the 
faithful  do  for  the  glory  of  God.  God  absolves  them  ;  and  they  live 
holily,  and  devote  themselves  to  good  works.  God  imposes  holiness 
upon  us  in  justification  ;  and  justification  is  the  parent  of  holiness  ; 
take  away  justification,  and  there  cannot  possibly  be  any  good  works ; 
take  away  good  works,  and  there  is  no  more  justification. 

You  may  also  compare  this  last  part  with  the  condition  in  which 
the  believer  is  here  considered :  he  is  in  Christ  Jesus ;  and  remark 
that  these  two  things  perfectly  agree  together,  because  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  true  cause  of  our  justification ;  and  sanctification  is  the  princi- 
pal effect  of  our  communion  with  Jesus  Christ. 

So  again,  in  this  beautiful  passage  in  the  second  of  Ephesians 
"  God  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,l 
even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with 
Christ ;  by  grace  are  ye  saved."  You  may  oppose  and  compare  these 
two  subjects  in  the  text,  dead  in  sin  and  rich  in  mercy,  as  being  two 
extremes,  extreme  misery,  and  extreme  mercy,  one  in  us,  and  the 
other  in  God,  The  greatness  of  our  crimes  manifest  the  riches  of 
God's  mercy  :  and  the  riches  of  his  mercy  absorb  the  greatness  of 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  207 

our  crimes.  Had  our  sins  been  less,  it  must  indeed  have  been  mercy 
to  pardon  our  sins,  but  not  I'iches  of  mercy.  If  God  had  been  only 
lightly  inclined  to  mercy  he  might  indeed  have  pardoned  smalier  sins, 
but  this  would  never  have  extended  to  persons  dead  in  their  sins ; 
this  belongs  only  to  extraordinary  and  abounding  mercy.* 


CHAP.   VII. 

OF  TEXTS  TO  BE  DISCUSSED  IN  A  WAY  OF  CONTINUED  APPLICATION. 

We  have  said  there  are  two  general  ways  of  discussing  a  text, 
that  of  explication,  and  that  of  observation.  These  two  ways  of  preach- 
ing we  call  teictuary,  because,  in  effect  they  keep  to  the  text  without 
digression,  they  regard  it  as  the  subject  matter  of  the  whole  discus- 
sion, or,  if  you  please,  as  the  field,  which  they  have  to  cultivate,  or  to 
reap  :  but,  beside  these,  there  is  a  third  way,  which  is,  without  ex- 
plaining or  making  observations,  the  making  of  a  continual  applica- 
tion of  it,  and  the  reducing  of  it  immediately  to  practice. 

In  this  manner  we  must  principally  manage  texts  exhorting  to  ho- 
liness, and  repentance,  as  this  of  Zephaniah,  "  examine  yourselves 
diligently,  O  nation  not  desirable  ;"  for,  instead  of  explaining  the  terms 
— or  making  observations  on  the  necessity  of  the  exhortation — the  pro- 
phet who  spoke  it — the  Jews  to  whom  it  is  addressed — the  description 
of  the  nation  not  desirable — the  mercy  of  God  in  calling  these  sinners 
to  repentance,  &c.  the  whole  may  very  usefully  be  turned  into  prac- 
tice, and  we  may  enter  upon  that  serious  self-examination,  which  the 
prophet  commands. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  1  Cor.  xi.  28.  "  Let  a  man  examine 
himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink  of  thatcup  ;"  for, 
laying  aside  all  theological  observations,  you  may  actually  enter  upon 
self-examination. 


*  The  Editor  has  omitted  in  this  place  a  long  discourse  upon  1  Thess.  iv. 
7.  which  Mr.  Claude  had  subjoined  with  a  view  to  exemplify  the  discussion  of 
a  text  by  way  of  observations.  But  it  was  not  altogether  calculated  to  an- 
swer the  end  proposed,  because  it  exemplified  very  few  of  the  preceding  top- 
ics, and  those  without  any  attention  to  their  order,  or  any  intimation  what  top- 
ics he  intended  to  exemplify.  Tl-.ough,  therefore,  the  discourse  contained,  as 
every  production  of  Mr.  Claude's  must,  many  striking  and  useful  sentiments, 
the  reader,  who  seeks  information  respecting  the  Composition  of  a  Sermon,  has 
no  occasion  to  regret  the  omission  of  it ;  more  especially  as  the  discourse  was 
at  least  one  third  as  long  as  all  the  twenty  seven  topics  taken  together.  It 
should  be  remembered,  however,  that  these  topics  are  subject  both  to  use  and 
abuse.  They  are  suggested  in  order  to  aid  invention  ;  but  they  require  judge- 
ment and  discretion  in  the  use  of  them.  Simeon'', 


203 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 


This  manner,  well  and  wisely  disposed,  by  choosing  proper  occa- 
sions, will  produce  (as  I  have  elsewhere  said)  an  excellent  effect ;  but 
always  remember  on  this  rule,  that  in  using  this  method,  something 
searching  and  powerful  must  be  said,  or  it  would  be  better  let  alone.* 


CHAP.  VIII. 

OF  TEXTS  TO  BE  DISCUSSED  IN  PROPOSITIONS. 

To  these  three,  a  fourth  may  be  added,  which  consists  in  reduc- 
ing the  texts  to  a  number  of  propositions,  two  at  least,  and  three  orj 
four  at  most,  having  mutual  dependence,  and  connexion.  Thus  for 
example,  Rom.  viii.  13.  "  If  ye  live  after  the  flesh  ye  shall  die;  but' 
if  ye  through  the  spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall  live." 
You  may,  without  pretending  to  explain  the  terms,  fiesh — spirit —  ■ 
death — life,  or  the  phrases,  live  after  the  flesh — mortify  the  deeds  of' 
the  body — (which  is  the  usual  method)  you  may  reduce  the  uhole  to 
two  propositions  ;  the  one,  that  the  damnation  of  sinners  is  inevitable 
— and  the  other,  that  a  good  and  holy  life  is  both  a  principal  end  of 
the  gospel,  and  an  inseparable  character  of  Christianity.  When  this 
method  is  taken,  tliere  is  much  more  liberty  than  in  the  former,  and 
a  more  extensive  field  opens.  In  the  former  methods  you  are  restrain- 
ed to  your  text,  and  you  can  only  explain  and  apply  that ;  you  can 
make  no  other  observations,  than  such  as  precisely  belong  to  it  ;  but 
here  your  subject  is  the  matter  contained  in  your  propositions,  and 
you  may  treat  of  them  thoroughly,  and  extend  them  as  far  as  you 
please,  provided  you  do  not  violate  the  general  rules  of  a  sermon. 
Here  you  must  propose  not  to  treat  of  the  text,  but  of  those  subjects, 
which  you  have  chosen  from  several  contained  in  the  text.  The  way 
of  explication  is  most  proper  to  give  the  meaning  of  Scripture  ;  and 
this  of  systematical  divinity.  The  way  of  application  rather  regards 
practice  than  theory  :  but  this,  which  we  call  the  way  of  propositions, 
or  points,  is  more  proper  to  produce  an  acquaintance  with  systemat- 
ical divinity,  and  it  will  equally  serve  theory   and  practice. t 

*An  example  of  a  long  sermon  is  here  omitted. 
t  For  example,  Rom.  viii.  13.  "  If  ye  live   after    the  flesh,  ye  shall  die;  but 
if  through  the  Spirit,  fcc."     After  explaining;  the  terras,  the  whole  discourse 
may  be  reduced  to  two  propositions  ; 

I.  The  damnation  of  the  wicked  is  inevitable. 

It  is  deplorable  to  consider  the  blindness  in  which  the  greatest  part  of  the 
people  in  the  world  live,  who  seldom  think  of  the  punishments  of  hell,  or  the 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.        -  209 

It  must  not  be  thought,  that  these  four  ways  of  discussing  texts 
are  so  heterogeneous,  that  they  can  never  be  mixed  together  ;  on  tiie 


consequences  of  death.     From  this  blindness  comes  their  insensibility  to  relig- 
ion, and  their  extreme  attachment  to  the  vanities  of  this  present  evil  world. 

Yet,  however  great  this  blindness  is,  it  is  in  a  measure  voluntary,  proceed- 
ing more  from  the  malice  of  the  h<  art,  than  the  darkness  of  the  understand- 
ing; for  the  })assions  avoid  those  objects,  which  are  disagreeable  to  them,  and 
perpetually  substitute  others  to  employ  the  mind.  Hence,  it  is  of  the  last  im- 
portance to  meditate  on  this  matter,  on  which  depends  our  eternal  interest  in 
a  future  world. 

I.  vlan  is  a  creature  subject  to  a  law  ;  and  even  the  light  of  his  conscience 
discovers  an  essential  ditft-rence  between  vice  and  virtue,  good  actions  and 
bad.  But  a  law  is  no  law,  if  it  do  not  suppose  a  judgement ;  and  judgement 
is  no  judgement,  if  it  do  not  suppose  punishment. 

And  by  the  consent  of  all  mankind,  in  the  thickest  darkness  of  paganism, 
when  God  suffered  all  nations  to  walk  in  their  own  ways,  even  then,  it  was 
always  acknowledged  that  there  were  rewards  to  the  virtuous,  and  punish- 
ments to  the  impious. 

But  this  is  capable  of  further  proof  by  the  principles  of  all  religions.  There 
never  was,  nor  can  there  ever  be  any,  which  is  not  founded  on  this  principle, 
that  God  is  our  sovereign  Judge,  who  holds  in  his  bands  our  life  and  death. 

Finally,  we  observe,  that  revealed  religion  has  carefully  placed  this  truth 
in  full  evidence  ;  showing  not  only  tht  truth  of  the  punishment  of  sinners,  but 
a-lso  the  dtgrees  of  it. -- A  punishment  after  death  and  judgement— which  in- 
volves both  body  and  soul — which  has  truly  the  essence  of  pain,  and  not  anni- 
hilation—a punishment  proportional  in  greatness  as  well  as  in  duration. 

2  Slaving  thus  established  the  truth  of  our  proposition,  we  may  pass  onto 
the  vain  subterfuges,  which  sinners  use  on  the  subject. — It  is  a  distressing  sub- 
ject, therefore  they  do  not  like  to  think  about  it ;  but  what  folly  is  there  in 
this  conduct!  Thi  y  resemble  prisoners  already  in  irons,  and  doomed  to  pun- 
ishment, who  stifle  the  sense  of  the  misery  by  plunging  into  debauchery. 

When  worldly  men  cannot  entirely  avoid  the  thought  of  damnation,  they 
venture  to  take  refuge  in/a/*e  notions. — 'God,  say  they,  is  a  gracious  judge, 
he  has  the  compassion  of  a  father.'  What  a  marvellous  abuse  is  this  of  mercy  I 
But  will  mercy  allow  the  impunity  of  that  sinner,  who  persists  in  sin,  and 
would  make  compassion  itself  an  acco.-nplice  in  his  crimes? 

The  wicked  seldom  fail  to  abuse  the  evangelical  doctrine  of  the  death  of 
Christ — to  hide  in  a  multitude  like  themselves — to  consider  damnation  as  a 
very  distant  thing — to  extenuate  their  sins,  and  to  hide  the  enormity  and  num- 
ber of  them. 

But,  to  speak  plainly,  all  these  are  only  vain  pretences,  the  falsehood  of 
which  even  the  wicked  acknowledge  ;  the  only  reason  why  they  avoid  conver- 
sion is,  that  ardent  love,  that  obstinate  attachment,  which  they  have  to  vice. 
This  is  the  true  cause  ;  and  all  the  rest,  if  they  would  speak  honestly,  are  on- 
ly vain  pretences. 

Now,  1  ask,  is  not  this  love  to  sin  the  greatest  folly  in  the  world  ?  while 
on  the  one  hand,  it  renders  us  incapable  of  enjoying  ourselves  ;  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  draws  upon  us  the  condemnation  of  God,  and  conducts  us  a  great 
pace  towards  those  eternal  torments,  which  he  has  prepared  for  the  wicked. 

II.  The  practice  of  good  works,  and  a  holy  and  religious  life,  is  the  prin- 
cipal end  which  the  gospel  proposes,  and  the  principal  character  of  the  true 
christian. 

This  is  manifest  from  passages  of  scripture  innumerable. — "  The  grace  of 
God  that  bringeth  salvation,^'  h.c.  &c. 

Indeed,  by  a  general  view  of  the  end  for  which  Christ  came  into  the  world, 
you  will  see  he  came  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  The  works  of  the  dev- 
il are  principally  two,  sin  and  punishment. — Let  us  not  imagine  that  Jesus 
27 


210  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

contrary  there  are  a  great  many  texts,  in  which  it  will  be  necessary 
to  make  use  of  two,  or  three,  and  sometimes  even  of  all  the  fuur  ways. 
When  a  text  is  explained,  it  will  be  very  often  needful  to  make 
some  observations  also,  and  the  matter  will  require  as  long  an  appli- 
tiori.  Sometimes,  to  explain  a  text  well,  the  matter  must  be  reduced 
into  m:i.ny  propositions,  as  we  have  observed  on  these  words,  "  It  is 
God  that  worketh  in  you  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."  In 
like  manner,  when  the  method  of  observation  is  used,  it  very  often 
happens  that  some  part  of  the  text  needs  explaining,  and  so  of  the 
rest.  These  four  ways  must  be  distinguished  for  two  reasons.  1.  Be- 
cause they  are  very  different  from  one  another  ;  to  explain,  to  make 

Christ  came  into  the  world  to  take  away  the  punishment  only,  and  to  leave 
-sin  triumphant. 

I  win  even  venture  to  say,  he  came  to  destroy  sin  rather  than  sorrow.  Suf- 
fernig^  concerns  only  the  creature  ;  but  sin  concerns  the  Creator  as  well  as  the 
creature  ;  it  dishonours  the  one  and  distresses  the  other. 

Is  it  likely,  think  ye,  that  Jesus  Christ  would  have  quitted  his  mansion  of 
glory,  and  descended  to  this  earth,  to  acquire  an  impunity  for  criminals,  leav- 
ings them  immersed  in  sensuality  and  sin  ?  Is  it  likely  that  he  can  hold  com- 
munion with  people  in  rebellion  and  profaneness  ? 

From  all  which  it  clearly  follows,  that  an  unsanctified  man  has  not  the  spir- 
it of  Christ,  is  not  in  communion  with  him,  does  not  belong  to  his  mystical 
body,  is  not  a  true  believer  ;  in  a  word,  is  not  a  true  christian.  Holiness  is  an 
inseparable  companion,  and  a  necessary  effect  of  the  gospel. 

But,  if  holiness  be  a  necessary  consequence  of  (he  gospel,  it  is  no  less  true 
that  the  gospel  is  an  inexhaustible  source  of  motives  to  holiness.  I  pass  over 
its  precepts,  and  rules  of  conduct — all  its  mysteries  point  at  this — all  its  doc- 
trines are  so  many  bonds,  to  bind  our  hearts  to  the  obedience  of  faith. 

"^ro  which  we  may  add,  the  gospel  consecrates  to  holy  uses,  even  what  the 
light  of  nature  tcacheth  us, — as,  that  God  is  our  Creator^  and  made  us  by  his 
power  ;  and  our  Preserver^  who  supports  us  by  a  perpetual  influence,  and  pre- 
vents our  falling  back  into  non-entity  ;  (hat  it  is  his  providence  which  gov- 
erns the  whole  uuivtrse,  and  particularly  watches  over  us. 

O  powerful  motives  to  love  and  obedience  !  Shall  it  he  said  that  God  pre- 
serves ungiateful  and  rebellious  creatures,  who  do  nothing  but  affront  him  ? 
Shall  it  be  said  his  sun  cheers  us  in  the  same  manner,  as  it  does  serpents  and 
vipers  ?  and  that  it  influences  us  as  it  does'envenomed  dragons? 

But  all  these  motives,  however  great  and  powerful,  are  nothing  in  compar- 
ison of  those  which  the  gospel  takes  from  its  own  source  ;  and  they  are  such  as 
must  affect  every  soul,  which  is  not,  I  do  not  say  hard  and  insensible,  but  en- 
tirely dead  in  sin,  or  possessed  by  the  devil.  For,  in  one  word,  that  God,  after 
all  our  rebellions,  and  all  our  crimes,  should  yet  be  reconciled  to  us  ;  that  he 
should  give  his  Son,  that  he  should  give  him  to  be  flesh  and  blood  like  us,  that 
lie  should  give  hun  to  die  for  us  !  is  not  this  love  and  mercy  worthy  of  eternal 
praise  ?  And  what  horrible  ingratitude  must  it  be,  if  after  all  this  we  should 
be  yet  capable  of  wilfully  sinnins:  against  a  God  so  good,  and  of  counting  iht 
blood  of  such  a  covenant  an  unholy  thins;  ! 

Hence  it  appears,  that  Christianity  is  dishonoured,  when  the  outward  pro- 
fession of  it  is  attended  with  a  bad  life — how  they  deceive  themselvt-s,  who, 
without  sanctification  and  good  works,  imagine  themselves  christians — and 
that  it  is  the  vainest  of  all  hopes  to  imagine  they  may  be  saved  by  such  a  bare 
profession.  Many  will  come  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  last  day,  saying,  "  Lord, 
Lord,'"  &:c.  Ci.ArnE. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  211 

observations,  to  apply,  and  to  reduce  to  propositions,  are  four  very  dif- 
ferent ways  of  treating  texts.  A  composer,  then,  must  not  confound 
them  together  ;  but  he  must  observe  tlie  difference  well,  that  he  may 
use  them  properly.  2.  Because  it  is  customary  to  give  the  discussion 
of  a  text  the  name  of  the  prevailing  manner  of  handling  it.  We  call 
that  the  way  of  explication,  in  which  there  is  more  explication  than 
observation.  We  not  only  call  that  the  way  of  observation,  which  has 
only  observations,  but  that  in  which  there  is  more  observation  than 
explication,  or  application  ;  and  so  of  the  rest. 


CHAP.  IX. 


OF  THE  EXORDIUM. 


The  exordium  is  that  part,  in  which  the  minds  of  the  hearers  are 
prepared,  and  a  natural  and  easy  way  opened  to  the  discussion. 

But,  first,  a  question  presents  itself  (on  which  opinions  are  much 
divided,)  whether  exordiums  be  necessary  ?  or  even  whether  they  be 
not  in  all  cases  quite  useless,  and  in  some  hurtful  ?  Whether  it  would 
not  be  better  entirely  to  omit  them,  to  begin  immediately  with  the 
connexion  of  the  text  with  the  preceding  verses,  pass  to  the  division, 
and  so  enter  on  the  discussion  ?  There  are  many  of  this  opinion, 
and  their  reasons  are,  1.  That  there  appears  too  much  artifice  in  an 
exordium,  which  is  more  likely  to  dissipate,  than  to  conciliate,  the 
attention  of  your  hearers.  "  It  is  evident  (say  they)  to  the  auditors, 
that  you  design  to  come  insensibly,  and  by  a  kind  of  artful  manoeuvre, 
to  your  matter,  and  to  lead  your  hearers  almost  imperceptibly  to  it ; 
but  this  seems  a  finesse  altogether  unworthy  of  the  gospel,  and  con- 
trary to  that  sincerity,  ingenuousness,  gravity,  and  simplicity,  which 
should  reign  in  the  pulpit.  Indeed,  when  a  wise  hearer  perceives 
you  design  to  deceive  him,  he  conceives  a  strong  prejudice  against 
you,  and  that  prejudice  will  certainly  be  hurtful  in  the  following  part 
of  the  discourse." 

They  add,  in  the  second  place,  that  "  exordiums  are  extremely 
difficult  to  compose^  and  justly  styled  the  crosses  of  preachers.  Should 
some  small  advantage  be  gained  by  exordiums,  it  would  not  be  of  con- 
sequence enough  to  induce  us  to  compose  them.  In  so  doing  we  should 
waste  a  part  of  our  time  and  strength,  which  might  be  much  more 
usefully  employed." 

They  say  thirdly,  that  "  the  principal  end  proposed   in  an  exordi- 


212  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

um  is  either  to  conciliate  the  hearer's  affection,  or  to  excite  his  atten- 
tion, or  to  prepare  the  way  to  the  matters  to  be  treated  of:  but  all 
these  are  to  he  supposed.  As  to  their  affection,  pastors,  who  preach 
to  their  own  flocks,  ought  not  to  doubt  that.  We  speak  to  christians, 
to  persons,  who  consider  us  as  the  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ,  whom, 
consequently,  they  respect  and  love.  As  to  attention,  it  ought  also  to 
be  supposed  :  not  only  because  pulpit-subjects  are  divine  and  salutary 
to  men,  but  also  because  such  only  come  to  public  worship  as  desire 
to  hear  the  word  of  God  attentively  ;  and,  indeed,  if  the  auditors  have 
not  that  disposition  of  themselves,  an  exordium  cannot  give  it  them. 
Such  a  disposition  is  an  effect  of  a  man's  faith,  and  piety,  and  it  is 
not  to  be  thought,  that  an  exordium  of  eight  or  ten  periods  can  con- 
vert the  worldly  and  profane,  or  give  faith  and  piety  to  those,  who 
have  them  not.  As  to  what  regards  the  introducing  of  the  matter  to 
be  treated  of,  the  bare  reading  of  the  text  sufficiently  does  that ;  for, 
according  to  the  common  way  of  preaching,  the  text  contains  the  sub- 
ject to  be  discussed." 

Finally,  they  add,  "  delivering  an  exordium  is  only  misspending 
thne,  uselessly  dissipating  a  part  of  the  hearers'  attention,  so  that  af- 
terwards, they  frequently  sleep  very  quietly  when  you  enter  on  the  dis- 
cussion. Would  it  not  be  better,  then,  immediately  to  engage  them 
in  the  matter,  so  that  their  attachment  may  afterward  serve  to  main- 
tain their  attention,  according  to  the  natural  inclination,  which  all 
men  have  to  finish  what  they  have  once  begun  ?" 

But  none  of  these  reasons  are  weighty  enough  to  persuade  us  to 
reject  exordiums,  or  to  be  careless  about  them.  As  to  the  first:  The 
art  which  appears  in  an  exordium,  so  far  from  being  odious  in  itself, 
and  seeming  unnatural  to  the  hearers,  is,  on  the  contrary,  altogether 
natural.  It  is  disagreeable  to  enter  abruptly  into  theological  matters 
without  any  preparation.  It  would  not  be  necessary,  were  our  minds 
all  exercised  about  divine  things;  but  as,  alas !  we  are  in  general 
too  little  versed  in  such  exercises,  it  is  good  to  be  conducted  to 
them  without  violence,  and  to  have  emotions  excited  in  us  in  a  soft, 
and  insensible  manner.  It  is  not  finesse,  and  deceit,  since  in  do- 
ing it  we  only  accommodate  ourselves  to  the  weakness  of  man's 
mind,  and  indeed,  it  is  what  he  himself  desires.  Moreover,  it  is  to 
be  observed,  that  hearers  are  now  so  habituated  to  an  exordium,  that 
if  they  heard  a  preacher  enter  abruptly  into  his  matter,  they  would  be 
extremely  disgusted,  and  would  imagine,  the  man  was  aiming  to  do 
with  them  what  the  angel  did  with  IJabakkuk,  when  he  took  him  by 
the  hair  of  his  head,  and  transported  him  in  an  instant  from  Judea  to 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  213 

Babylon.  Some  time  then  ought  to  be  employed  gently  to  lead  the 
mind  of  the  hearer  to  the  subjects,  of  which  you  are  going  to  treat. 
You  are  not  to  suppose  that  he  already  understands  them,  nor  that  he 
is  thinking  on  what  you  have  been  meditating,  nor  that  he  can  apply 
it  instantly  without  preparation. 

The  second  reason  may  have  some  weight  with  weak  and  lazy 
preachers :  but  it  has  none  with  wise  and  diligent  students  ;  and,  af- 
ter all,  exordiums  are  not  so  difficult,  as  to  be  impracticable  :  a  little 
pains  taking  is  sufficient,  as  we  every  day  experience. 

The  third  is  not  more  considerable.  I  grant,  preachers  ought  to 
suppose  the  love  and  affection  of  their  hearers  ;  yet  it  does  not  follow, 
that  they  ought  not  to  excite  it,  when  they  preach  to  them.  Perhaps 
tijeir  affection  is  not  always  in  exercise  :  it  may  be  sometimes  sus- 
pended, and  even  opposed  by  contrary  sentiments  ;  by  coolness  and 
indifference,  by  hatred  or  envy,  arising  from  the  defects  of  the  pastor 
(for,  however  able,  he  is  not  perfect,)  or  from  the  depravity  of  the 
hearers.  The  same  may  be  said  of  attention,  although  they  ought  to 
have  it  entirely  for  the  divine  truths,  which  the  preacher  speaks  ;  yet, 
it  is  certain,  they  have  it  not ;  and  all  that  a  preacher  can  desire  is, 
that  his  hearers  have  a  general  disposition  to  hear  the  gospel.  The 
preacher  must  endeavour  to  give  them  a  peculiar  attention  to  such 
matters  as  he  has  to  discuss.  As  to  the  rest,  it  must  not  be  thought, 
that  the  bare  reading  of  the  text,  or  the  connexion,  or  the  division  on- 
ly can  produce  that  effect;  a  greater  compass  must  be  taken,  to  move 
the  human  mind,  and  apply  the  subject.  And  this  also  may  be  said 
of  preparation,  for  which  an  exordium  is  principally  designed.  The 
reading  of  the  text  may  do  something;  connexion  and  division  may 
contribute  more  ;  but  all  this,  without  an  exordium,  will  be  useless. 

Nor  is  it  difficult  to  answer  the  fourth  reason  ;  for,  beside  the  ad- 
vantages of  an  exordium,  which  are  great  enough  to  prevent  our  cal- 
ling it  lost  time,  its  parts  are  ordinarily  so  short,  that  they  cannot 
justly  be  accused  of  dissipating  or  fatiguing  the  hearers'  minds.  To 
which  I  add,  that  the  exordium  itself,  if  well  chosen,  will  contain 
agreeable  and  instructive  matter,  so  that,  considered  in  itself,  some- 
thing good  is  always  to  be  learned  from  it. 

We  cannot  approve,  then,  of  the  custom  of  the  English  preachers, 
who  enter  immediately  into  the  literal  explication  of  the  text,  and 
make  it  serve  for  an  exordium  ;  after  which  they  divide  their  discour- 
ses into  several  parts,  which  they  discuss  as  they  go  on.  Surely  the 
hearer  is  not  suddenly  able  to  comprehend  their  explications,  having 
yet  neither  emotions  nor  preparation.     Methinks,  it  would  be  much 


214  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

better  gently  to  stir  them  up,  and  move  them  by  something,  which 
gives  no  pain,  than  to  load  them  all  on  a  sudden  with  an  explication, 
which  they  can  neither  clearly  comprehend,  nor  perhaps  distinctly 
hear. 

Least  of  all  do  we  approve  of  the  custom  of  some  of  our  own 
preachers,  who,  intending  to  explain  the  text,  or  to  make  some  reflec- 
tions throughout  the  whole  sermon,  enter  immediately  into  the  mat- 
ter, without  any  exordiums  at  all.  I  am  persuaded,  they  are  induced 
to  do  thus  only  for  the  sake  of  avoiding  the  difficulty  of  composing  an 
exordium,  that  is,  in  one  word,  only  for  the  sake  of  indulging  their 
idleness  and  negligence. 

Taking  it  for  granted,  then,  that  an  exordium  must  be  used,  it 
may  be  asked,  what  are  the  principal  benefits  we  expect  to  receive 
from  them  ?  and  with  what  general  views  ought  they  to  be  composed  ? 
In  answer,  we  say,  the  principal  design  of  an  exordium  is  to  attract  or 
excite  the  affections  of  the  audience  ;  to  stir  up  their  attention  ;  and 
Xo  prepare  them  for  the  particular  matters,  of  which  we  are  about  to 
treat.* 

The  two  first  of  these  must  only  be  proposed  indirectly.  A 
preacher  would  render  himself  ridiculous,  if  in  ordinary  discourses, 
and  without  cases  of  extreme  necessity,  he  should  labour  by  this  ' 
means  to  acquire  the  esteem  and  affection  of  his  congregation.  This 
method  would  be  more  likely  to  make  them  rather  despise  than  es- 
teem him. 

You  must  not,  then,  compliment  the  people,  nor  praise  yourself, 
nor  indeed  speak  of  yourself  in  any  manner  of  way.  These  are  affec- 
tations, which  never  succeed  ;  and  yet  some  able  preachers  slip  into 
this  weakness,  especially  when  they  preach  to  strange  congregations, 
and,  above  all,  when  they  address  assemblies  of  the  rich,  the  learned, 
or  the  noble. 

Then  they  never  fail  to  interlard  their  exordiums  with  some  com- 
mon place  saws  ;  either  the  pleasure  it  gives  them  to  be  called  to  that 
pulpit ;  or  an  affectation  of  self-contempt ;  a  confession  of  their  great 
weakness;  or  something  of  this  kind.  To  speak  my  opinion  freely, 
I  think  these  are  pedantic  airs,  which  have  a  very  bad  effect.     Sensi- 

*  Introductions  are  intended  to  excite  affection  and  attention,  and  to  prepare 
the  auditor  for  the  subject.  "  Causa  principii  nulla  alia  est,  quam  ut  anditorem, 
quo  sit  nobis  in  cseteris  partibus  accommodatior,  preeparerans.  Id  fieri  tribns 
niaxime  rebus,  inter  actores  plurimos  constat,  si  benevolum,  attentmn,  docilem 
fecerimus;  uon  quia  ista  per  totam  actionem  non  sint  custodienda,  sed  quia 
in  initiis  maxime  necessaria,  per  quae  in  animuin  judicis,  ut  procedere  ultra 
possimus,  admittimur.  Quint.  Inst.  lib.  iv.  cap.  i. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  215 

ble  auditors  do  not  like  to  hear  such  fantastical  pretences,  which  are 
both  contrary  to  the  gravity  of  the  pulpit,  and  to  the  decency  of  a 
modest  man. 

How  then,  you  will  ask,  must  the  affections  of  the  hearers  be  at- 
tracted 1  I  answer,  indirectly,  by  an  exordium  well  chosen,  and  well 
spoken  ;  and  this  is  the  surest  way  of  succeeding. 

In  regard  to  attention,  it  is  certain  it  ought  to  be  awakened,  and 
fixed  in  the  same  manner,  that  is,  by  something  agreeable,  and  wor- 
thy of  being  heard,  a  composition  of  piety  and  good  sense.  I  do  not 
disapprove  of  asking  sometimes  for  attention,  either  on  account  of 
the  importance  of  the  matter,  the  solemnity  of  the  day,  the  state  of 
the  church,  or,  in  short,  of  any  other  particular  occasion  ;  but  it  must 
not  be  done  often  :  for  then  it  would  never  be  minded  ;  and,  when  it 
is  done,  the  fewer  words  the  better.* 

'The  principal  use  of  an  exordium  is  to  prepare  the  hearer's  mind 
for  the  particular  matters  you  have  to  treat  of,  and  insensibly  to  con- 
duct him  to  it.  If  this  end  be  not  obtained,  the  exordium  cannot 
but  be  impertinent ;  and,  on  the  contrary,  if  this  end  be  answered, 
the  exordium  cannot  be  improper. 

When  I  say  the  hearer's  mind  must  be  prepared  for,  and  conduct- 
ed to  the  matter,  I  mean  to  say,  these  are  two  different  things.  You 
prepare  the  hearer  for  the  matter,  when  you  stir  up  in  him  such  dis- 
positions as  he  ought  to  have,  to  hear  well,  and  to  profit  much.  You 
insensibly  conduct  your  hearer  to  the  matter,  when,  by  the  natural 
connexion  of  the  subjects,  of  which  you  speak,  you  lead  him  from  one 
thing  to  another,  and  enable  him  to  enter  into  the  doctrine  of  your 
sermon. 

Let  us  advert  a  moment  to  each.  The  jireparafion  must  be  de- 
termined by  the  subject,  of  which  yon  are  going  to  speak;  for  if  it 
be  a  sad  and  afllicting  subject,  in  which  you  aim  to  excite  the  com- 
passion, the  grief,  and  the  tears  of  your  audience,  you  must  begin  the 
exordium  by  imparling  such  a  disposition. 

If  you  have  to  treat  of  a  profound  and  difficult  mystery,  aim  to 
diffuse  elevation  and  admiration  among  the  hearers.  If  some  terri- 
ble example  of  God's  justice  be  the  subject,  endeavour  to  stir  up  fear. 

*  The  fathers,  about  the  time  of  Chrysostoin,  made  use  of  what  some  have 
called  PrcEexordia,  and  they  thoug;ht  they  derived  Ihe  custom  from  the  apostles. 
Paul  begins  his  epistles  with,  "  Grace  and  peace  be  with  you  from  God  the  Fa- 
ther, and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  In  imitation  of  this,  when  a  father  ascended 
the  pulpit,  he  used  to  pause  a  moment,  and  then  say,  Peace  be  with  you  all  I 
or.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.'  or  something  of  this 
kind.  In  return  the  people  answered,  And  uilh  thy  spirit  !  and  then  he  en- 
tered oil  his  sermon.  Robijjsok". 


216  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

If  some  enormous  crime,  prepare  the  mind  for  horror  by  a  meditation 
on  the  enormity  of  human  corruption.  If  you  have  to  treat  of  repent- 
ance, and  in  an  extraordinary  manner  to  interest  your  hearers  in  it, 
you  must  begin  to  dispose  them  to  it  by  general  ideas  of  God's  wrath, 
which  we  have  deserved  ;  of  the  little  fruit  we  have  borne  to  his  glo- 
ry ;  or  something  of  a  like  nature.  *  If,  on  the  contrary,  the  matter, 
you  have  to  treat  of,  be  common  and  tranquil,  aim  in  your  exordium 
to  place  the  mind  in  its  natural  state,  and  only  endeavour  to  excite 
honest  and  christian  tempers,  which  we  all  ought  always  to  have.  In 
a  word,  the  exordium  must  always  participate  the  spirit  of  the  subject, 
that  you  mean  to  discuss,  in  order  to  dispose  your  hearers  for  it.  Not 
to  use  in  this  manner,  is  to  lose  all  the  benefit  of  an  exordium;  and 
to  use  it  to  an  opposite  purpose,  would  be  to  renounce  common  sense, 
and  to  act  like  an  idiot. 

The  second  use  of  an  introduction  is  to  conduct  the  hearer  grad- 
ually to  the  subject,  of  which  you  are  about  to  treat.  This  (as  I  have 
said)  depends  on  the  connexion  between  the  subjects  of  the  exordium 
■with  themselves,  and  with  the  matter  of  the  discussion.  I  say  first 
with  themselves  ;  for  they  must,  as  it  were,  hold  each  other  by  the  hand, 
and  have  a  mutual  dependence  and  subordination,  otherwise  the  au- 
ditor will  be  surprised  to  find  himself  suddenly  transported  from  one 
topic  to  another.  I  say  also  with  the  discussion,  for  the  exordium  is 
principally  intended  to  introduce  that. 

The  first  quality  of  an  exordium  is  brevity.  This,  however,  has  a 
proper  measure  ;  for  as  it  ought  not  to  be  excessively  long,  so  neither 
should  it  be  too  short ;  the  middle  way  is  best.  The  longest  exordi- 
um may  have  ten  or  twelve  periods,  and  the  shortest  six  or  seven,  pro- 
vided the  periods  be  not  too  long.  The  reason  is,  that,  on  the  one 
hand,  proper  time  may  be  given  the  hearer  to  prepare  himself  to  hear 
you  with  attention,  and  to  follow  you  in  the  discussion  of  the  matter  ; 
and,  on  the  other,  that  in  giving  time  sufficient  for  that,  you  may  pre- 
vent his  wandering  out  of  the  subject,  wearying  himself,  and  becom- 
ing impatient.  If  the  exordium  were  too  short,  it  would  oblige  the 
hearer  to  enter  too  soon  into  the  matter  without  preparation  enough  ; 
and  excessive  length  would  weary  him  ;  for  it  is  with  an  auditor,  as 
with  a  man  who  visits  a  palace,  he  does  not  like  to  stay  too  long  in  the 
court,  or  first  avenues  ;  he  would  only  view  them  transiently  without 
stopping,  and  proceed  as  soon  as  possible  to  gratify  his  principal  curi- 
osity. 

2.  An  exordium  must  be  clear,  and  consequently  disengaged  from 
all  sorts  of  abstruse  and  metaphysical  thoughts.    It  should  be  express- 


eOMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON,  217 

ed  in  natural  and  popular  terms,  and  not  overcharged  with  matter. 
Indeed,  as  the  auditors  are  neither  enlivened  nor  moved,  yet  you  must 
not  expect  of  them  at  first  a  great  degree  of  penetration  and  elevation, 
nor  even  a  great  attempt  towards  these,  though  they  may  be  capable 
of  them  when  they  are  animated.  You  must  therefore,  in  an  exor- 
dium, avoid  all  that  can  give  pain  to  the  mind,  such  as  physical  ques- 
tions, long  trains  of  reasoning,  and  such  like.  However,  do  not  im- 
agine, that,  under  pretence  of  great  clearness,  an  exordium  must  have 
only  theological  matter,  or  consist  rather  of  words  than  things.  This 
would  be  falling  into  the  other  extreme.  An  exordium,  then,  must 
contain  matter  capable  of  nourishing  and  satisfying  the  mind ;  to  do 
which,  it  must  be  clear,  easy  to  comprehend,  and  expressed  in  a  very 
natural  manner. 

3.  An  exordium  must  be  cool  and  grave*  Consequently  no  grand 
figures  may  be  admitted,  as  apostrophes,  violent  exclamations,  reite- 
rated interrogations,  nor,  in  a  word,  any  thing  that  tends  to  give  ve- 
hement emotions  to  the  hearers  :  for,  as  the  discourse  must  be  ac- 
commodated to  the  state  of  the  hearer,  he  in  the  beginning  being 
cool,  and  free  from  agitations,  the  speaker  ought  to  be  so  too.  No 
wise  man  will  approve  exordiums  full  of  enthusiasms,  and  poetical 
raptures,  full  of  impetuous  or  angry  emotions,  or  of  bold  interroga- 
tions, or  surprising  paradoxes  to  excite  admiration.  You  must  in  the 
beginning  speak  gently,  remembering  that  your  auditors  are  neither 
yet  in  heaven,  nor  in  the  air,  nor  at  all  elevated  in  their  way  thither, 
but  upon  earth,  and  in  a  place  of  worship. 

4.  An  exordium,  however,  ought  not  to  be  so  cool  and  grave,  as 
not  to  be  at  the  same  time  engaging  and  agreeable.  There  are  three 
principal  ends,  which  a  preacher  should  propose,  namely,  to  instruct, 
to  please,  and  to  affect ;  but,  of  these  three,  that  which  should  reign 
in  an  exordium  is,  to  please.  I  own  you  should  also  aim  to  instruct 
and  affect ;  but  less  to  instruct  than  to  please,  and  less  still  to  affect 
than  to  instruct.  Indeed,  if  you  can  judiciously  and  properly  intro- 
duce any  thing  tender  into  an  exordium  (especially  on  extraordinary 
occasions)  you  may  to  good  purpose  ;  but,  be  that  as  it  may,  the 
agreeable  should  reign  in  this  part.     You  easily  see   by  this  that  you 

*  ^n  exordium  must  be  cool.  Mr.  Claude's  rule  is  undoubtedly  good  in 
general,  and  his  reason  weighty. 

This,  however,  is  a  rule  sometimes  dispensed  with.  Cicero  begins  an  ora- 
tion thus  ;  "  Quousque  tandem  abutere,  Catalina,  patientia  nostra  ?  Quamdiu, 
etiam  furor  iste  tuus  nos  illudet  ?  Quern  ad  finem  sese  effrenata  jactabit  auda- 
cia  ?"  &c.  Perhaps  an  exordium  somewhat  more  animated  than  usual  may  be 
proper  on  such  occasions,  as  the  first  and  twelfth  of  the  skeletons,  published 
by  the  Editor. 

28 


218 


AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 


must  banish  from  the  exordium,  all  ill-natured  censures,  terrible 
threatenings,  bitter  reproaches,  and,  in  general,  all  that  savours  of  an- 
ger, contempt,  hatred,  or  indifference,  and  in  short,  every  thing  that 
has  the  air  of  quarrelling  with  the  hearers.  Their  altention  must  not 
only  be  excited,  (you  may  sufficiently  do  so  by  censures  and  reproach- 
es) but  you  must  softly  insinuate  yourself  into  their  esteem,  so  that 
they  may  not  only  not  oppose  what  you  say,  but  be  well  satisfied  you 
are  an  honest  and  well-meaning  man.* 

5.    The  whole  of  the  exordium  must  be  naturally  connected  with  all 
the  matter  of  the  text.    I  say  first  the  whole  of  the  exordium  :  for  great 
care  must  be  taken   to  put  nothing   there   foreign   to  your   subject : 
therefore  the   best  exordiums  are  those,  which   are   composed  of  two 
propositions,  the  first  of  which  is  naturally  and  immediately  connected 
with  the  second,  and  the  second   naturally  and  immediately  with   the 
text.     Each  of  these  propositions  may  be  either  proved,  or  amplified  ; 
but  the  last  must  always  conduct  you  with  ease  to  the  subject  in  ques- 
tion, nor  must  the  first  be  very  distant.     According  to  this  maxim,  all 
exordiums  must   be   condemned,  which,  instead  of  leading  you   into 
the  text,  make  you,  as  it  were,  tumble  from  a  precipice  into  it,  which 
is  intolerable.     Those  also  are   to  be  condemned,  which   conduct  to 
the  text  by  many  long  circuits,  that  is,  by  many  propositions  chained 
together,  which  is  certainly  vicious,  and  can  only   fatigue   the  hearer. 
I  add,  in  the  second  place,  the  exordium  must  be   connected  with  the 
tohole  matter  of  the  text.     It  ought  not    merely  to  relate  to  one  of 
its  parts,  (or  to  one  view  only,  if  you  intend  to  consider  it  in  different 
views)  but  to  all.     One  of  the  principal  uses  of  an  exordium  is  to  pre- 
pare the  mind  of  the  hearer  for  the  matter  to  be  discussed.     If,  there- 
fore, the  exordium  refer  only  to  one  of  its  parts  ;  or  to  one  view  only, 
it  will  prepare  the  mind  of  the  hearer  for  that  one   part,  for  that  one 
view  only,  and  not  for  the  rest. 

6.  An  exordium  must  he  simple.  We  would  not  entirely  banish 
figures :  on  the  contrary,  we  would  always  employ  such  as  may  ren- 
der the  discourse  pleasant  and  agreeable  ;  but  pompous  and  magnifi- 
cent expressions  must  be  avoided,  as  far  as  the  things  spoken  will  ad- 
mit.    Do  not  use  a  style  too  elevated,  bordering  on  bombast ;  nor  pe- 


*  Snliffy  i/our  hearers  thai  ynu  are  a  u-dl-meaning  man.  Hence  Quinlilian 
so  much  insists  on  his  orator's  bein-  a  good  man.  The  whole  first  chapter  of 
his  twelfth  book  is  spent  in  proving  the  necessity  of  this;  and,  if  this  be  so 
neecKul  at  the  bar,  how  much  more  so  is  it  in  the  pulpit  !  His  conclusion  is 
enou-h  to  make  a  christian  minister  blush.  ''■Men  had  btller  be  born  dumb, 
and  tvtn  deslitutc  of  reason,  than  pervert  Ihosc  gifts  of  proridence  to  pernicious 
purposes.  Mutos  enim  nasci,  et  eg;ere  omni  ratione  satius  fuissot,  quam  prov- 
identiae  munera  in  mutuam  perniciem  convertere."  ^umt.  1.  xii.  c.  i. 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  219 

riods  too  harmonious  ;  nor  overstrained  allegories ;  nor  even  meta- 
phors too  common  or  too  bold  ;  for  indeed  the  hearer's  mind,  yet  cool 
and  in  its  natural  state,  can  bear  nothing  of  this  kind. 

7.  An  exordium  must  not  be  common.  As  this  is  a  rule  much 
abused,  it  will  be  needful  to  explain  it.  By  a  common  exordium,  I 
do  not  mean  an  exordium,  which  will  suit  many  texts  ;  for  if  the  texts 
are  parallel,  and  the  subject  be  managed  with  the  same  views,  and  in 
the  same  circumstances,  what  occasion  is  there  to  compose  different 
exordiums?  By  a  common  exordium,  I  mean,  in  the  first  place,  one 
taken  from  trivial  things,  and  which  have  been  said  over  and  over 
again  ;  these  the  people  already  know,  and  your  labour  will  infallibly 
be  thrown  away.  Such  are  exordiums  taken  from  comparisons  of 
the  sun — of  kings — of  conquerors — of  the  ancient  Romans,  (Sec. — or 
from  some  histories  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  have  been  often  re- 
peated— or  of  some  well-known  types,  as  the  Israelites'  passage 
through  the  Red  Sea — and  many  more  of  the  same  kind.  In  the 
second  place,  I  mean,  by  a  common  or  general  exordium,  one,  which 
may  be  alike  applied  to  two  texts  of  different  matter,  or  to  two  contra- 
ry interpretations  of  the  same  text.  It  is  in  this  sense  that  common 
exordiums  are  vicious  and  distasteful. 

8.  Even  in  metaphorical  or  figurative  texts,  it  is  quite  puerile  to 
make  an  exordium  join  the  text  by  a  metaphor  ;  for,  whatever  ingenu- 
ity there  may  seem  to  be  in  it,  it  is  certain,  there  is  no  taste,  no  judge- 
ment discovered  in  the  practice ;  and,  however  it  may  pass  in  college 
declamations,  it  would  appear  too  trifling  in  the  pulpit.  The  exordi- 
um, then,  must  be  connected  with  the  text  by  the  matter  itself;  that 
is,  not  by  the  figure,  but  by  the  subject  intended  to  be  conveyed  by 
the  figure.  I  would  not,  however,  forbid  the  joining  of  the  exordium 
to  the  text  sometimes  by  the  figure,  provided  it  be  done  in  a  chaste 
and  prudent  manner. 

Let  us  give  one  example.  "  lie  that  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh 
my  blood,  hath  eternal  life."  John  vi.  54.  An  exordium  to  a  ser- 
mon from  this  text  may  be  taken  from  the  idea  which  holy  scripture 
teaches  us  to  form  of  our  conversion,  as  if  it  were  a  new  birth,  which 
begins  a  new  life  ;  that  for  this  purpose,  it  speaks  of  a  new  man,  a 
new  heaven,  which  illuminates,  and  a  new  earth,  which  supports  him ; 
that,  attributing  to  this  new  man  the  same  senses,  which  nature  has 
formed  in  us,  as  sight,  hearing,  feeling,  smelling,  tasting,  it  attributes 
also  to  him  objects  proportioned  to  each  of  these  mystical  senses,  and 
ascribes  to  them  effects  like  those,  which  our  senses  produce  by  their 
natural  operations.     It  tells  us ;  that  our  eyes  contemplate  the  celes- 


220  AS  ESSAY  ON  THE 

tial  light,  which  illuminates  and  guides  us  in  the  ways  of  righteous- 
ness; that  our  ears  hear  the  voice  of  God,  who  calls  us,  and  who  by 
these  means  makes  us  obey  our  vocation.  It  tells  us  that  the  gospel 
is  a  savour  of  life,  which  communicates  salvation  to  us.  And,  finally, 
it  attributes  to  us  a  mouth  to  eat  the  ^cs/<,  and  drink  the  blood  of  the 
Son  of  God,  in  order  to  nourish  us  to  life  eternal.  It  is  this  last  ex- 
pression, which  Jesus  Christ  has  made  use  of  in  the  sixth  of  John, 
and  which  says  in  my  text,  "  he  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh 
my  blood,  hath  eternal  life." 

This  exordium  joins  itself  to  the  text  by  the  figure  made  use  of  in 
the  text,  but  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  be  chargeable  with  affecta- 
tion, or  witticism ;  for  it  is  by  a  serious  reflection  on  the  scripture  use 
of  the  figure,  acknowledging  it  to  be  a  figure,  ^.ndi  preparing  ihe  hear- 
er to  attend  to  the  explication. 

To  these  rules  1  subjoin  a  word  or  two  on  the  vices  of  exordiums. 
1.  There  are  some  preachers,  who  imagine  it  a  fine  thing  to  take  ex- 
ordiums from  the  persons  of  their  hearers,  or  the  circumstances  of 
times,  places,  general  affairs,  or  news  of  the  world  :  but  I  believe  this 
is  altogether  a  vicious  method,  and  should  never  be  used  but  on  ex- 
traordinary occasions.  First,  there  is  too  much  affectation  in  it.  Is 
it  not  a  vain  parade,  to  begin  a  discourse  with  things  which  have  no 
relation  to  the  matter  ?  It  is  certainly  contrary  to  the  chastity  and 
modesty  of  a  christian  pulpit.  Secondly,  exordiums  of  this  sort  are 
usually  pulled  in  by  head  and  shoulders.  How  should  it  be  other- 
wise, when  the  articles,  of  which  they  are  composed,  have,  if  any,  only 
a  very  distant  relation  to  the  text  ?  By  such  means  you  defeat  the 
principal  design  of  an  exordium,  which  is  to  prepare  the  hearers' 
minds,  and  to  conduct  them  insensibly  to  the  subject.  And,  finally, 
it  is  very  difficult  in  such  exordiums  to  avoid  saying  impertinences; 
for  what,  in  a  public  discourse,  can  be  more  indelicate,  than  to  speak 
of  yourself,  or  hearers,  or  times,  or  news  ?  In  my  opinion,  such  ex- 
ordiums ought  to  be  entirely  rejected. 

2.  You  must  also,  for  the  most  part,  reject  exordiums  taken  from 
profane  history,  or  what  they  call  the  apothegms  of  illustrious  men. 
This  method  savours  too  much  of  the  college,  and  is  by  no  means  in 
the  taste  of  pious,  well  bred  men.  Alexander,  Caesar,  Pompey,  all 
the  great  names  of  antiquity  have  no  business  to  ascend  the  pulpit ; 
and  if  they  are  not  suffered  now-a-days,  either  in  orations  in  the  sen- 
ate, or  in  pleas  of  the  bar,  much  less  ought  they  to  be  allowed  in 
christian  sermons.  It  may  not  be  amiss,  if  they  appear  now  and  then 
in  the  discussion,  or  in  the  application  ;  but  even  there  we  ought  to 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  221 

see  them  but  seldom,  not  oftener  than  once  a  year  at  most :  but  to 
introduce  them  at  the  beginning  of  a  sermon  is  intolerabie.  I  say 
much  the  same  of  citations  from  profane  authors;  they  must  be  for- 
borne, unless  it  be  something  so  particular,  so  agreeable,  and  so  apt 
to  the  text,  as  to  carry  its  own  recommendation  along  with  it. 

In  general  the  best  exordiums  are  taken  from  theology ;  for,  as,  on 
the  one  hand,  they  have  always  more  relation  to  the  matter  of  the  text, 
so,  on  the  other,  they  much  better  prepare  the  bearers'  minds,  being 
more  grave,  and  free  from  the  puerile  pedantries  of  the  college. 

In  order  to  compose  an  exordium,  after  you  have  well  considered 
the  senses  of  the  text,  and  observed  what  are  the  principal  matters, 
which  ought  to  enter  into  the  discussion,  and  after  you  have  made  the 
division,  endeavour  to  reduce  the  whole  to  one  common  idea,  and 
then  choose  some  other  idea  naturally  connected  with  that  common 
idea,  either  immediately,  or  by  means  of  another.  If  it  be  immediate- 
ly connected  with  the  subject,  endeavour  to  reduce  it  to  one  proposi- 
tion, which  may  be  cleared  and  proved  as  you  go  on ;  or  if  it  have 
parts,  which  require  separate  explications  and  proofs,  it  must  be  man- 
aged so  as  to  include  them  ;  and  finally,  by  the  natural  connexion  of 
that  proposition  with  the  discussion,  enter  into  the  text.  If  the  pro- 
position be  connected  with  the  text  only  remotely,  then  establish  the 
first,  pass  on  to  the  second,  and  so  proceed  from  the  second  to  the 
text. 

Exordiums  may  be  taken  from  almost  all  the  same  topics  as  obser- 
vations, that  is,  from  genus,  species,  contraries,  &c.  For  there  are 
but  few  good  exordiums,  which  might  not  go  into  the  discussion,  un- 
der the  title  of  general  observation.  Of  such  observations,  that  must 
be  chosen  for  an  exordium,  which  is  least  essential,  or  least  necessary 
to  the  discussion,  and  which,  besides,  is  clear,  agreeable,  and  enter- 
taining. A  comparison  may  sometimes  be  employed  in  an  exordium, 
but  not  often ;  nor  must  trivial  comparisons  be  used,  which  all  the 
world  know,  or  which  are  taken  from  any  thing  mean  ;  nor  must  they 
be  embarrassing,  taken  from  things  unknown  to  the  people,  as  those 
are,  which  are  borrowed  from  mechanics,  astronomy,  &c,  of  which 
the  people  know  nothing  at  all. 

Bible-history  may  be  used,  but  sparingly  ;  and  the  application 
must  be  always  just,  agreeable,  and,  in  some  sort,  new  and  remarka- 
ble. 

Types  may  also  be  employed ;  but  with  the  same  precautions,  al- 
ways consulting  good  sense  and  taste. 

The  best  method  is  to  compose  several  exordiums  for  the  same  text. 


222  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

by  turning  your  imagination  divers  ways,  by  taking  it  in  all  its  differ- 
ent relations  ;  for  by  such  means  you  may  choose  the  most  proper. 
But  after  all  these  general  precepts,  which  indeed  ought  to  be  known, 
and  by  which  exordiums  must  be  regulated,  it  is  certain,  the  invention 
and  composition  of  an  exordium  can  only  become  easy  by  practice.  A 
young  preacher  ought  not  to  complain  of  trouble,  nor  to  be  any  way 
negligent  in  the  matter  ;  for  he  may  be  sure  of  succeeding  by  atten- 
tion and  application. 


CHAP.  X. 


OF  THE  CONCLUSION.* 


The  Conclusion  ought  to  be  lively  and  animating,  full  of  great 
and  beautiful  figures,  aiming  to  move  christian  affections,  as  the  love 
of  God,  hope,  zeal,  repentance,  self-condemnation,  a  desire  of  self-cor- 
rection, consolation,  admiration  of  eternal  benefits,  hope  of  felicity, 
courage  and  constancy  in  afflictions,  steadiness  in  temptations,  grati- 
tude to  God,  recourse  to  him  by  prayer,  and  other  such  dispositions.t 

*  Conclusion.  This  in  a  sermon  answers  to  what  in  an  oration  is  called  the 
peroration.  "  It  recapitulates,  or  sums  up  the  strong^est  and  chief  arguments, 
and,  by  moving  the  passions,  endeavours  to  persuade  the  hearers  to  yield  to  the 
force  of  them." — ^irist.  Rhef. 

The  fire  of  the  preacher  should  blaze  here  ;  he  should  collect  the  idea?  of 
his  whole  sermon  into  this  part,  as  raj's  are  collected  in  the  focus  of  a  burning- 
glass,  and  inflame  the  hearts  of  his  auditors. 

+  Bishop  Burnet  says,  "  A  sermon,  the  conclusion  whereof  makes  the  audi- 
tory look  pleased,  and  sets  them  all  talking  with  one  another,  was  certainly  ei- 
ther not  rightly  spoken,  or  not  rightly  heard  ;  it  has  been  fine,  and  has  proba- 
bly delighted  the  congregation  rather  than  edified  it;  but  that  sermon  that 
makes  every  one  go  away  silent,  and  grave,  and  hastening  to  be  alone  to  med- 
itate, and  pray  the  matter  over  in  secret,  has  had  a  true  effect."  Past,  care^ 
chap.  ix. 

Let  the  peroration,  or  conclusion,  be  short ;  let  it  be  bold  and  lively  ;  and 
let  some  one  or  more  striking  ideas,  not  mentioned  before  in  the  discussion,  be 
reserved  for  this  part,  and  let  it  be  applied  with  vigour.  Bucholizer  used  to 
say,  ^4  good  preacher  was  known  by  his  conclusion.  He  frequently  concluded 
his  discourse  with  some  such  sentence  as  the  following.  Here,  my  brethren,  | 
I  stop,  I  leave  the  Holy  Spirit  to  preach  to  you.  Now,  christians,  1  have  done 
my  part.  May  the  Lord  condescend  to  do  his  in  your  hearts  1  I  have  planted 
and  watered.  May  God  give  the  increase  !  1  have  been  preaching  to  you,  and 
setting  before  you  the  gospel  of  Salvation.  May  the  Lord  God  apply  it  to 
your  hearts,  for  his  glory,  and  for  your  eternal  felicity  !  May  the  Lord  set  home 
to  your  hearts  what  I  have  been  preaching"!  For  my  part,  I  am  only  his  mes- 
senger to  you.  He  is  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls.  Keckermanni 
Rhet.  Eccl. 

The  publisher  o( Massillon's  sermons  describes,  in  the  preface,  the  bishop's 
method  of  preaching,  by  saying,  that  "  What  formed  the  distinct  character  of 
father  Massillon'^s  eloquence,  was,  that  all  his  strokes  aimed  directly  at  the 
heart.,  so  that  what  was  simply  reason  and  proof  in  others,  was  feeling  in  his 


COMPOSITION'  OF  A  SERMON.  223 

There  are  three  sorts  of  dispositions,  or  emotions  ;  the  violent,  the 
tender,  and  the  elevated.  The  violent  are,  for  exar.ple,  indignation, 
fear,  zeal,  courage,  firmness  against  temptations,  repentance,  self- 
loathing,  &.C. 

The  tender  emotions  are  joy,  consolation,  gratitude  ;  tender  sub- 
jects are  pardon,  pity,  prayer,  &lc.*  The  elevated  are  admiration  of 
the  majesty  of  God,  the  ways  of  providence,  the  glory  of  Paradise,  the 
expectation  of  benefits,  6lc. 

mouth.  Hence  the  remarkable  effects  of  his  instructions;  nobody  after  hear- 
in»  him  stopped  to  praise  or  criticise  his  sermon.  Each  auditor  retired  in  a 
pensive  silence,  -with  a  thouofhtful  air,  downcast  eyes,  and  composed  counte- 
nance, carryinsr  away  the  arrow  fastened  in  his  heart.  When  Massillon  had 
preached  his  first  advent  at  Versailles,  Lewis  XIV.  said  these  remarkable 
words  to  him :  '  Father,  I  have  heard  many  fine  orators  in  my  chapel,  and 
have  been  very  much  pleased  with  them  ;  but  as  for  you,  always  when  I  have 
heard  you,  I  have  been  very  much  displeased  with  myself.'  Strm.  de  Massill. 
pet.  car.  pref. 

*  Tender  conclusion.  Example  of  a /ewrfer  conclusion,  from  a  sermon  of  Bish- 
op Mussillon  to  his  clerg^y.  And  indeed,  my  brethren,  can  a  pastor  live  either 
without  prayer,  or  can  he  pray  but  seldom  ;  or  can  he  pray  without  fervour 
and  zeal,  or  can  he  confine  all  his  prayers  to  a  cold,  inattentive,  and  hasty 
rehearsal  of  his  breviary,  while  he  passes  his  life  among;  his  parishioners,  and 
sees  the  greatest  part  of  them  lying  in  sin,  and  perishing  every  day  before  his 
eyes?  ^\'hen  the  high  priest  Aaron  saw  a  part  of  his  people  smitten  by  the 
hand  of  God,  and  expiring  before  him,  he  ran  between  the  dead  and  the  liv- 
ing— he  lifted  his  hands  to  heaven — he  wept  for  the  misery  of  such  as  fell  be- 
fore his  eyes — he  cried — he  wrt  stled — and  his  prayer  was  heard,  the  plague 
was  stopped,  and  the  sword  of  God's  anger  retired.  A  good  pastor  never  prays 
for  his  people  in  vain.  "  And  Aaron  stood  between  the  dead  and  the  living, 
and  the  plague  was  stayed." 

This,  my  brethren,  is  the  image  of  a  good  pastor.  Among  his  people  (as  I 
may  say)  he  walks  between  the  dead  and  the  living.  He  sees  by  his  side  some 
of  iiis  flock  dead,  and  others  ready  to  expire,  having  only  some  flattering  signs 
of  life.  He  sees  the  invisible  sword  of  God's  wrath  hang  over  these  people  ; 
he  sees  reigning  crimes  and  hastening  death.  All  this  he  beholds,  and  it  is  a 
spectacle,  which  he  has  every  day  before  his  eyes.  If  he  is  not  affected  with 
this,  he  is  not  a  pastor,  he  is  a  mercenary  wretch,  who  sees  in  cold  blood  the 
destruction  of  his  flock.  He  is  either  a  minister  fallen  from  the  grace  of  the 
priesthood,  or  one  who  has  never  received  it.  But  if  this  afl't-cts  him,  ah  I 
what  must  the  first  motion  of  his  grief  and  zeal  be  ?  He  will  address  hisTiself 
to  God,  who  wounds  and  heals  •,  he  will  open  to  him  secret  tears  of  grief  and 
love  to  his  people  ;  he  will  remind  an  angry  God  of  his  ancient  mercies  ;  he 
■will  move  his  paternal  heart  by  his  sighs  ;  and  offer  himself  to  be  accuratd 
(Rom.  ix.  3.)  for  his  brethren.  ''  Aaron  stood  between  the  dead  and  the  liv- 
ing, and  the  plague  was  stayed." 

No,  my  brethren,  a  priest,  a  pastor  who  does  not  pray,  who  does  not  love 
prayer,  does  not  belong  to  that  church  which  praifs  tvithoul  ceasing.  He  is  not 
united  to  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  love.  He  is  a  dry  and  barren  tree,  which 
cumbers  the  Lord's  ground.  He  is  the  enemy,  and  not  the  father  of  his  peo- 
ple. He  is  a  stranger  who  has  usurped  the  pastor's  place,  and  to  whom  the 
salvation  of  the  flock  is  indifferent.  Wherefore  my  brethren,  be  faithful  in 
prayer,  and  your  functions  will  be  more  useful,  your  people  more  holy,  your 
labours  will  seem  much  sweeter,  and  the  church's  evils  will  diminish. 

Massii,.  Disc.  Synod.  Tom,  ii.  Disc.  10. 


5i24  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE 

There  are  some  christian  passions  which  may  be  excited  either  by 
a  tender,  or  violent  method.  Repentance  is  of  this  kind  ;  for  which 
extremely  tender  motives  may  be  employed,  as  the  love,  and  bounty 
of  God,  which  we  have  so  unworthily  treated.  Violent  motives  may 
also  be  used,  as  censure,  an  enumeration  and  description  of  the  enor- 
mity of  the  sins  reigning  among  us,  the  horror  of  our  ingratitude,  the 
fear  of  God's  judgements,  the  justice  of  his  scourges,  and  chastise- 
ments, &c. 

In  like  manner,  firmness  against  temptations  may  be  discussed  ; 
for  tender  motives  may  be  used,  as — the  vanity  of  the  promises  and 
hopes  of  this  world,  which  are  only  false  and  delusive  appearances  ; 
the  consideration  of  the  miserable  state  of  backsliders,  and  apostates; 
the  dignity  to  which  God  calls  his  children  ;  the  eternal  rewards, 
which  attend  perseverance;  the  joy  of  a  good  man  when  he  has  gain- 
ed a  signal  victory  over  temptations.  Violent  methods  may  also  be 
employed,  as — inspiring  a  holy  ambition  to  defeat  the  designs  of  the 
world  ;  a  contempt  of  the  plots,  and  powers  against  us  ;  the  hope,  or 
rather  the  inviolable  assurance  we  hav°,  that  all  the  powers  of  earth 
joined  together  cannot  shake  us.  St.  Paul  uses  mixed  motives  at  the 
end  of  the  eighth  of  Romans.  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love 
of  Christ?  Shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  j)ersecution,  or  famine, 
or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword  ?  Nay,  in  all  these  things,  we  are 
more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am  persuad- 
ed, that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  pow- 
ers, nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor 
any  other  creature  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,"* 

*  Conclusion  may  be  mixed.  Example  of  a  mixed  conclusion  from  MASSir,- 
LON.  The  annihilation  of  the  soul  is  the  last  resource  of  impiety.  But  what 
punishment  would  it  be  for  a  wicked  man  to  be  no  more  ?  He  wishes  for  an- 
nihilation, and  proposes  it  as  his  hig^hest  hope.  He  lives  tranquil  in  the  midst 
of  his  pleasures  in  this  agreeable  expectation.  What!  will  the  just  God  pun- 
ish a  sinner  by  giving  him  what  he  desires  ?  Ah  I  it  is  not  thus  that  God  pun- 
ishes. For  what  can  the  wicked  find  so  very  bad  in  annihilation  ?  Would  it 
be  the  privation  of  God  ?  But  a  wicked  man  does  not  love  him,  he  does  not 
know  him,  he  will  not  know  him,  for  his  god  is  himself.  Would  it  be  annihi- 
lation ?  But  what  more  pleasing  to  such  a  monster,  who  knows  that  if  he  lives 
after  death,  it  is  only  to  suffer,  and  expiate  the  horrors  of  an  abominable  life  I 
Would  it  be  the  loss  of  worldly  pleasures,  and  of  all  the  objects  of  his  passions  ? 
But  when  he  ceases  to  be,  he  must  cease  to  live.  Imagine  if  you  can  a  more 
desirable  lot  for  the  wicked  ;  and  shall  this  after  all  be  the  sweet  end  of  his  de- 
baucheries, horrors  and  blasphemies ! 

No,  my  brethren,  the  hope  of  the  wicked  shall  perish :  but  his  crimes  shall 
not  perish  with  him.  His  torments  will  be  as  endless  as  his  pleasures  would 
have  been,  if  he  had  been  master  of  his  fate.  He  would  fain  perpetuate  upon 
earth  his  sensual  pleasures ;  death   limits   his  crimes,  but  does   not  limit  bis 


COMPOSITION  OF  A  SERMON.  225 

A  conclusion  should  be  diversified.  I  mean,  we  should  not  be 
content  to  move  one  single  christian  passion ;  many  must  be  touched, 
and  a  proper  length  of  discourse  assigned  to  each,  in  order  to  stir  up 
the  passion.  Too  long  time,  however,  must  not  be  spent;  but  when 
the  effect  is  evidently  produced,  pass  to  another  passion.  As  the  con 
elusion  ought  to  be  composed  at  least  of  four,  or  five  reflections,  (nat- 
urally arising  from  the  text,  either  general,  from  the  whole  text,  or 
particular,  from  some  of  the  parts,  into  which  it  is  divided,)  so,  if  pos- 
sible these  reflections  must  be  placed  in  prudent  order,  so  that  the 
weakest  and  least  powerful  may  be  the  first,  and  the  strongest  last, 
and  so  that  the  discourse  may  become  more  rapid  as  it  runs. 

I  think,  however,  it  would  be  vicious  to  finish  with  motives  toa 
violent,  as  subjects  tending  to  horror,  indignation,  or  heavy  censure. 
It  would  be  much  better,  in  general,  to  close  with  a  tender,  or  even 
with  an  elevating  motive.  Different  motives  may  be  (and  indeed  they 
ought  to  be)  mixed  in  the  same  conclusion,  that  is,  violent,  tender, 
and  elevated,  in  order  to  stir  up  many  passions  of  different  kinds. 

Conclusion  sometimes  delights  in  examples,  similitudes,  short  and 

criminal  desires.  The  just  Judge,  who  searches  the  heart,  will  proportion  then 
the  suffprin*  to  the  offence  ;  immortal  flanies  for  intentionally  immortal  plea- 
sures, and  eternity  itself  will  only  be  a  just  compensation,  and  an  equality  of 
punishment.      These  shall  go  aicay  into  everlasting  punishment . 

What  is  the  conclusion  of  this  discourse  ? — That  a  wicked  man  is  to  be  piti- 
ed for  placing^  his  highest  hope  in  a  frightful  uncertain ity  about  revealed  truths. 
He  is  to  be  pitied,  in  that  he  is  not  able  to  live  peaceab'y.  unless  he  lives  with- 
out faith,  without  worship,  without  God,  without  hope  ;  that  he  is  to  be  pitied 
if  the  gospel  must  be  a  fable,  the  faith  of  all  ages  credulity,  the  consent  of  all 
men  a  popular  error,  the  first  principles  of  nature  and  reason  childish  prejudi- 
ces, the  blood  of  so  many  martyrs,  whom  the  hope  of  a  futurity  supported  in  tor- 
ments, a  concerted  scheme  to  deceive  mankind  ;  the  conversion  of  the  universe 
a  human  enterprise  ;  the  accomplishment  of  prophecies  a  lucky  hit  ;  in  one 
word,  if  all  that  is  best  established  in  the  universe  must  be  found  false,  so  that 
he  may  not  be  eternally  miserable.  What  madness  to  be  able  to  contrive  a 
kind  of  tranquillity  made  up  of  so  many  foolish  suppositions? 

O  man  I  1  will  show  you  a  inore  excellent  ivay.  Fear  this  futurity,  which 
you  force  yourself  to  doubt.  Ask  us  no  more  what  passes  in  that  other  life,  of 
•which  we  speak  ;  but  ask  yourself  frequently  what  you  are  doing  in  this.  Calm 
your  conscience  by  the  innocence  of  your  manners,  and  not  by  the  impiety  of 
your  sentiments.  Set  your  heart  at  rest  by  calling  upon  God,  and  not  by 
doubting  whether  he  sees  you.  The  peace  of  the  wicked  is  only  a  frightful 
despair;  seek  your  happiness,  not  in  shaking  off  the  yoke  of  faith,  but  in  tast- 
ing how  sweet  it  is.  Practise  the  maxims  it  prescribes,  and  your  reason  will 
no  longer  refuse  to  submit  to  the  mysteries  it  proposes.  Futurity  will  cease  to 
be  incredible  to  you,  when  you  cease  to  live  like  those  that  confine  all  their 
felicity  within  the  bounds  of  life.  Then  far  from  fearing  the  futurity,  you  will 
hasten  to  it  in  desire,  you  will  sigh  after  the  happy  day,  when  the  Son  of 
Man,  the  Father  of  the  world  to  come,  will  appear  to  punish  infidels,  and  to 
receive  into  his  kingdom  all  such  as  have  lived  in  expectation  of  a  blessed  im- 
mortality. 

Massh.  Sa\  Car.  Tom.  i. 

29 


S26  AN  ESSAY,  ETC. 

weighty  sentences,  the  inventions  of  a  fine  imagination,  and,  in  one 
word,  it  need  not  be  either  so  chaste,  or  so  regular  as  the  body  of  the 
sermon,  where  more  accuracy  must  be  observed.  There  is  no  danger 
when  a  preacher  in  a  conclusion  gives  himself  up  to  the  fire  of  his 
genius,  provided  he  say  nothing  extravagant  or  capricious,  nothing 
that  savours  of  enthusiasm  or  declamation.* 

*  To  this  purpose  Bishop  Burnet  observes,  "  Artificial  eloquence,  without  a 
flame  within,  is  like  artificial  poetry  ;  all  its  productions  are  forced,  and  unnat- 
ural, and  in  a  gjreat  measure  ridiculous.  Art  helps,  and  guides  nature  ;  but,  if 
one  was  not  born  with  this  flame,  art  will  only  spoil,  and  make  him  redundant. 
A  man  must  have  in  himself  a  deep  sense  of  the  truth  and  power  of  religion. 
He  must  have  a  life  and  flame  in  his  thoughts  with  relation  to  these  subjects. 
He  must  have  felt  in  himself  those  things,  which  he  intends  to  explain,  and  re- 
commends to  others.  There  is  an  authority  in  the  simplest  things  that  can  be 
said,  when  they  carry  visible  characters  of  genuineness  in  them."  Past,  care, 
c.  ix. 

Give  attendance  to  rending,  exhortation,  and  doctrine.  Neglect  not  the  gift 
thai  is  in  thee.  Meditate  upon  these  things,  give  thyself  wholly  to  them.  Take 
heed  to  thyself,  and  to  thy  doctrine,  continue  in  them  ;  for,  in  doing  this.,  thou 
shall  both  save  thyself,  and  them  tliat  hear  Ihee.     Paul  to  Tim, 


SYLLABUS 


OP  THE  PRECEDING  ESSAY. 


CHAP.  I. 


ON  THE  CHOICE  OF  TEXTS. 


Parts  of  a  Sermon  ^le          .... 

137 

Each  text  must  coutain  the  complete  sense  of  the  writer 

, 

137 

must  not  contain  too  little  matter  nor  too  much 

, 

138 

The  end  of  preachino;- 

138 

What  subjects  are  proper  for  staled  days  of  public  worship 

138 

What  for  occasional,  as  ordinations,  &c       .        .        . 

139 

CHAP.  II. 

GENERAL  RULES  OF  SERMONS. 

Sermons  should  be  explicit  and  clear 139 

must  give  the  entire  sense  of  the  text 

140 

must  be  wise,  sober,  chaste     . 

140 

simple  und  grave 

141 

instructing  and  affecting 

141 

Whether  a  preacher  should  apply  as  he  goes  on 

142 

Preacher  should  avoid  excess 

14-2 

Of  genius      ...          ... 

142 

Of  doctrine 

142 

Of  investigation 

142 

Of  figures  of  speech      .         .         .         ,         . 

143 

Of  reasoning 

143 

Of  grammatical  remarks       .... 

144 

Of  criticisms         ...... 

144 

Of  philosophical,  historical,  rbetorioal  observations 

144 

Of  quotations 

144 

CHAP.  III. 


OF  CONNEXION. 


Connexion  defined  and  how  to  find  it . 
must  seldom  be  enlarged  on  . 
must  sometimes  make  apart  of  the  discussion 
and  sometimes  it  affords  an  exordium    . 


145 
145 
145 
145 


CHAP.  IV, 


OP  DIVISION. 


A  text  should  not  be  divided  into  many  parts 

Division  of  the  Sermon  is  proper  in  general  for  obscure  subjects 


145 
14,6 


228  SYLLABUS  OF  THE  PRECEDING  ESSAY. 

Division  of  the  text  after  the  order  of  the  words    .....  148 

Nothing  must  be  put  in  the  first  branch  of  division  that  supposes  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  second      .........  150 

Divisioa  o{  subject  cind  attribute  .         .         .  .  .  •  .  .  150 

Division  must  be  expressed  simply  for  the  sake  of  being  remembered    .  154 

must  be  connected  together  .......  154 

Subdivision 154 

CHAP.  V. 


OF  TEXTS  TO  BE  DISCUSSED  BY  WAY  OF  EXPLICATION. 

Preacher  must  understand  the  sense  of  the  text  . 

comprehtnd  the  whole  subject  together,  and  perceive  the 
par/s  of  which  it  consists      .... 

have  a  general  id(  a  of  theology 

study  the  nature  of  his  text     ..... 

Ttco  general  wa.ys  of  discussing  a  text ;  explication  and  observation 
Rules  to  determine  the  choice     ...... 

Difficult  passages  must  be  treated  of  by  explication 
Difficulties  aiise  from  word?  or  things  ..... 

How  to  explain  difficult  words     ...... 

Difficult  and  important  subjects  must  be  explained 
Controrerttd  texts,  how  to  explain       ..... 

Different  ways  of  explaining  disputed  texts 

How  to  explain  an  intricate  subject     ..... 

How  to  explain  texts  not  difficult  but  important 
Explication  with  and  without  proof     ..... 

Explications  of  texts  which  have  many  parts 

Explication  of  simple  terms  ...... 

sometimes  not  to  be  explained   .  .         «         . 

How  to  explain  and  illustrate  a  proposition 
Explication  of  propositions  which  contain  divers  truths 
Explication  considerable  in  divers  views       .... 

which  have  different  degrees  of  accomplishment 
Inconsiderable  propositions  ....... 

CHAP.  VI. 

OF  TEXTS  TO  BE  DISCUSSED  BY  WAY  OF  OBSERVATION. 


155 

155 
155 
155 
156 
156 
156 
156 
156 
157 
157 
157 
157 
159 
161 
162 
163 
171 
172 
172 
172 
173 
173 


Some  texts  must  be  discussed  by  way  of  observation 
as  clear  texts      ..... 

historical  texts         .... 

Some  texts  require  both  explication  and  obsenmtion 
How  to  arrange  the  discussion  of  passages  of  this  kind 
Observation  sometimes  includes  explication 
Observations  should  generally  be  theological 
But  in  some  cases  they  may  be  taken  from  other  topics 
Observation  should  neither  be  pedantic 

nor  vulgar 
Topics         ...... 

As    I.  Genus       ..... 

H.  Species  ..... 

III.  Character  of  a  virtue  or  a  vice 

IV.  Relation  .... 

V.  Implication     .... 

VI.  Persons  speaking  or  acting  . 


176 
176 
177 
177 
177 
177 
178 
178 
178 
179 
179 
179 
180 
IBl 
183 
184 
186 


SYLLABUS  OF  THE  PRECEDING  ESSAY. 


229 


VIT.  State ,.-...  187 

VUI,  Time 188 

IX.  Place 188 

X.  Persons  addressed 189 

XI.  Particular  state  of  persons  addressed 189 

XII.  Principles 190 

XIII.  Consequences 1^1 

XIV.  End  proposed 192 

XV.  Manner         .         .    ' 192 

XVI.  Comparison  of  some  subjects  with  other  subjects          .         .  193 

XVII.  Difference 194 

XVIII.  Contrast 195 

XIX.  Ground 195 

XX.  Composition 197 

XXI.  Supposition 198 

XXII.  Objection 199 

XXIII.  Character  of  expression 200 

XXIV.  Decrees 203 

XXV.  Interests 204 

XXVI.  Distinction 205 

XXVII.  Comparison  of  one  part  of  a  subject  with  another  part  of 

the  same  subject          .         .             .....  206 

CHAP.  VII. 

OF  APPLICATION. 


Discussion  by  application 


207 


CHAP.  VIII. 


OF  PROPOSITION. 
Discussion  of  proposition,  what 

CHAP.  IX. 


208 


OF  THE  EXORDIUM. 


Exordium,  what  .... 
Whether  exordiums  be  necessary 
The  ends  proposed  in  exordiums  . 

They  are  principally  two  . 
Exordiums  must  be  short  &c. 

May  sometimes  be  figurative 
Vices  of  exordiums 

Affectation    .... 

Use  of  apothegms  . 

Citations  from  profane  authors 

In  what  cases  they  are  proper 
The  best  are  taken  from  theology 
How  to  compose  them  .... 

They  may  be  taken  from  common-places,  sacred  history,  types,  &c 


211 
211 
214 
215 
216 
219 
220 
220 
220 
220 
221 
221 
221 
221 


230 


SYLLABUS  OP  THE  PRECEDING  ESSAY. 


CHAP.   X. 
OP  THE  CONCLUSION. 

What  conclusions  ougrht  to  be  in  general      .....  222 

May  sometimes  be  mixed       .......  224 

Must  always  be  diversified 225 

The  best  conclusions 228 


• 

% 


GREGORY 


ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND  DELIVERY  OF 


A  SERMON. 


« 


ON  THE  COMPO'SITION  AND  DELIVERY 

SERMON. 


I  DO  not  know  any  species  of  composition,  which  is  more  deserv- 
ing of  critical  attention,  than  that,  which  is  appropriated  to  the  pul- 
pit ;  and  I  will  add,  that  I  do  not  know  any  which  appears  to  want 
it  more.  That  it  is  from  its  nature  liable  to  very  great  abuses,  and 
at  no  time  since  the  apostolic  age  has  been  free  from  error,  must  be 
allowed  by  every  person  conversant  in  the  literary  history  of  the 
church  ;  but,  of  late  years,  so  depraved  a  taste  has  been  introduced 
by  the  love  of  novelty,  and  the  admission  of  illiterate  persons  into  ho- 
ly orders,  that  the  keenest  inspection  of  criticism  is  become  necessary 
to  reduce  to  order  the  extravagancies  of  pulpit  empiricism.  A  few 
observations,  therefore,  having  occurred  to  my  recollection,  and  con- 
ceiving that  this  volume  might  probably  be  read  by  some  of  the  young- 
er clergy,  as  well  as  by  a  few  of  the  religious  part  of  the  laity,  I  de- 
termined to  embrace  the  opportunity  of  presenting  them  to  the  public. 

The  utility  of  these  remarks,  however,  may  possibly  not  be  alto- 
gether confined  to  one  species  of  composition.  What  I  have  to  ad- 
vance, with  respect  to  style  in  particular,  will,  I  flatter  myself,  not  be 
unacceptable  to  young  writers  in  general  :  indeed,  every  attempt  to 
refine  the  taste,  and  to  exercise  the  judgement,  is  generally  found  of 
advantage  beyond  the  sphere  of  its  immediate  intention. 

As  I  do  not  pretend  to  exhibit  a  complete  view  of  the  subject,  I 
have  entitled  this  attempt,  ''  Thoughts  on  the  Composition  and  Deliv- 
ery of  a  Sermon."  But,  as  desultory  maxims  or  precepts  are  seldom 
of  much  use,  I  have  endeavoured  to  reduce  my  sentiments  to  some 
kind  of  order;  and  (after  stating  in  general  terms  the  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  this  species  of  oratory  in  the  christian  church)  the  grand  di- 
'Visions,  which  I  mean  to  adopt,  will  be,  the  choice  of  a  subject,  the 
/   ,  30 


234  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

arrangement,  and  the  style:  to  which  I   mean  to  add   a  few  cursory 
observations  respecting  manner  or  delivery  * 

I.  OF  THE  ORIGIN  AND  PROGRESS  OF  PULPIT  ORATORY. 

i 

In  the  primitive  church  a  custom  prevailed,  which  may  be  ulti- 
mately traced  into  the  Jewish ;t  though  the  time  of  its  introduction 
into  the  latter  is  not  very  easily  ascertained.  The  bishop  or  presby- 
ter, who  read  the  portion  of  Scripture  selected  for  the  day,  concluded 
that  part  of  the  service  with  a  general  explanation  of  what  had  been 
read,  and  with  earnestly  exhorting  the  audience  to  profit  from  the 
instructions,  or  to  imitate  the  example,  which  had  then  been  exhibit- 
ed.J  These  exhortations  were  brief  and  unadorned,  and  were  some- 
times accompanied  with  other  explications  of  Scripture,  which  were 
successively  delivered  by  those  of  the  society,  who  declared  themselves 
under  the  puculiar  influence  of  the  Spirit ;  while  their  prophetic  breth- 
ren, who  were  present  in  the  assembly,  decided  upon  the  respect 
which  was  due  to  their  authority.'^)  It  is  probable  that  what  at  first 
consisted  only  of  a  few  short  and  perhaps  unconnected  sentences 
would  gradually,  and  by  those  who  possessed  fluency  of  thought  and 
facility  of  expression,  be  made  to  assume  a  more  regular  form.|l  Or- 
igen  was  the  first  who  introduced  long  explanatory  discourses  into 
Christian  assemblies;  and  preaching  in  his  time  began  to  be  formed 
upon  the  nice  rules  of  Grecian  eloquence. 

The  great  superiority  of  these  studied  and  regular  compositions 
over  extempore  eff'usions  soon  excluded  the  latter  almost  entirely  from 

*  The  design  of  Christian  oratory  (says  St.  Augustin)  is  either  to  instruct 
men  in  the  truth,  to  refute  their  errors,  or  to  persuade  them  to  the  practice  of 
virtue,  and  an  abhorrence  of  vice.  The  first  requires  plain  narration  ;  the 
second,  strength  of  ar°;ument  and  ratiocination  ;  and  the  third,  the  art  of  mov- 
ing the  miud  and  affections.  As  the  Christian  orator  speaks  that  only  which 
is  holy,  just,  and  good,  he  endeavours  to  speak  in  such  a  manner,  that  he  may 
be  heard  with  understanding,  with  pleasure,  and  with  effect. — That  he  may 
be  heard  with  understanding,  he  speaks  with  plainness  and  perspicuity,  and  a 
regard  to  the  capacities  and  knowledge  of  his  hearers ;  that  he  may  be  heard 
■with  pleasure,  he  will  pay  such  attention  to  the  common  rules  of  eloquence,  as 
to  endeavour  to  speak  with  acuteness,  elegance,  and  strength  ;  and,  that  he 
may  be  heard  with  effect,  he  will  labour  to  persuade  and  to  convince  his  au- 
ditors of  the  truth  and  importance  of  his  doctrines. 

Aug.  de  Doctrin.  Christ.  1.  4.  c.  4. 

Idem,  1.  4.  c.  15.     Idem,  1.  4.'c.  5., 

Idem,  I.  4.  c.  12. 

t  See  Luke  iv.  16,  17.    xx.  1.  xxi,  37.     John  viii.  20.     Acts  xiii.  13. 

X  Justin.  Apol.  2,  p.  98. 

?  Mosheim,  Cent.  1,  Part  2,  Chap.  4. 

11   Mosh.  Cent,  3,  Part  2,  Chap.  4. 


DELIVERY  OP    A    SERMON.  235 

the  service  of  the  church,  though  at  some  periods  we  find  them  occa- 
sionally resorted  to.  Origen,*  the  great  father  of  pulpit-oratory,  at 
above  sixty  years  of  age,  and  when  by  continued  use  and  exercise  he 
had  acquired  great  facility  both  in  composition  and  delivery,  began  to 
indulge  himself  in  the  practice  of  extempore  oratory.  The  custom, 
however,  was  not  confined  to  him.  Cyril  and  several  of  his  contem- 
poraries addressed  their  respective  audiences  in  unprepared  discour- 
ses, which  the  diligence  of  the  public  notaries  of  the  church  has  pre- 
served from  oblivion  ;  and  many  of  the  sermons  of  Chrysostom,  togeth- 
er with  his  celebrated  discourse  upon  his  return  from  banishment,  are 
proofs  not  only  of  the  existence  of  the  custom,  but  that  extempore 
compositions  are  not  necessarily  deficient  either  in  elegance  or  meth- 
od. It  is  probable,  however,  that,  at  a  time  when  nice  and  determin- 
ed rules  had  been  formed  for  pulpit-oratory,  few  would  attempt  ex- 
tempore addresses,  except  upon  sudden  and  particular  emergencies, 
and  then  they  would  be  attempted  by  such  only  as  previous  habits  of 
study  and  recitation  had  peculiarly  qualified  for  the  practice.  Of 
those  which  have  reached  posterity,  we  know  that  many,  and  proba- 
bly the  greater  part,  received  the  after  corrections  of  their  respective 
authors,  t 

However  diminutive  and  simple  in  its  origin,  preaching  very  soon 
came  to  be  considered  as  a  principal  part  of  public  worship.  Souie- 
times  two  or  three  sermons|  were  preached  in  the  same  assembly  by 
the  presbyters  and  bishops  in  succession  ;  and,  when  two  or  more 
bishops  happened  to  be  present,  it  was  usual  for  them  to  preach  after 
each  other,  reserving  the  last  place  for  the  most  eminent  person. 
The  sermons  upon  these  occasions  were  necessarily  short,  as  the 
time  limited  for  public  worship  was  only  two  hours.  It  was  probably 
upon  some  of  these  occasions  that  the  short  sermons  of  St.  Augustin 
were  composed,  many  of  which  may  be  pronounced  distinctly,  and  de- 
livered in  eight  minutes,  and  a  few  in  almost  half  that  time. 

The  general  regard,  which  was  paid  to  preaching,  as  a  necessary 
part  of  public  worship,  is  evident  from  its  having  formed  a  part  of  the 
discipline  of  every  Christian   church,  except  that  of  Rome,  in  which, 


*  Euseb.  lib.  6.  c.  36. 

t  At  the  Reformation  in  England,  many  complaints  were  made  of  those 
•who  were  licensed  to  preach  ;  and  that  they  nii^^ht  be  able  to  justify  themselves, 
they  began  generally  to  write  and  read  their  sermons  ;  the  manifest  superiori- 
ty of  this  mode  over  extenipo.-e  preaching  has  continued  it  in  the  church  of 
England  ever  since.     See  Burxet's  Hist.  Reform.  Vol.  I.  p.  317. 

X  Bingham's  Eccl.  Antiq.  Book  14.  cap,  4. 


236  ON    THE    COMPOSITION    AND 

as  Sozomen  informs  us,*  at  the  time  lie  wrote  no  such  custom  existed. 
Sermons  were  however  again  introduced  into  that  church  by  Leo, 
but  again  discontinued,  till,  after  an  interval  of  more  than  five  hun- 
dred years,  Pius  V.  once  more  made  them  a  necessary  part  of  public 
worship. 

As  the  institution  of  preaching  commenced  in  the  explication  of 
Scripture,  it  still  retained,  through  the  many  revolutions  of  the  public 
taste,  some  respect  to  its  origin  ;  and,  with  a  few  exceptions,  a  portion 
of  the  sacred  writings  always  constituted  the  basis  of  the  discourse  ;t 
though  latterly  it  was  reduced  almost  to  the  form  of  a  motto,  which 
had  frequently  but  little  connexion  with  the  principal  subject.  Fro.ii 
this  statement  of  facts  we  may  easily  perceive  the  source  of  those  two 
modes  of  exhortation,  which  now  prevail  in  the  church  ;  I  mean  the 
simply  explanatory,  and  the  didactic  or  essay  style.  Both  have  their 
particular  uses,  and  perhaps  neither  ought  to  be  uniformly  preferred. 

II.   OF    THE    CHOICE    OF    A    SUBJECT. 

However  custom  may  have  indulged  the  Christian  orator  with  res- 
pect to  the  modes  in  which  he  is  to  convey  instruction,  still,  in  the 
choice  of  a  subject,  young  preachers  will  do  well  to  advert  in  general 
to  the  origin  of  the  institution  ;  to  consider  that  its  immediate  design 
is  the  exposition  of  Scripture.  And,  though  I  see  no  reason  for  ex- 
cluding utterly  from  the  pulpit  those  discourses,  which  treat  of  the 
^virtues  and  vices  in  an  abstract  and  philosophical  manner  ;  yet  I  con- 
fess, that  sermon,  which  follows  the  order  of  tlie  text,  appears  more 
immediately  consistent  with  the  design  and  more  correspondent  to 
the  nature  of  the  composition. 

For  the  same  reason,  I  am  induced  to  prefer  those  discourses, 
which  tend  to  remove  the  difficulties,  and  elucidate  the  obscurities  of 
the  Scriptures.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood,  as  recommending, 
any  tedious  philological  disquisitions,  any  laborious  collations,  or  those 
exercises,  which  are  obviously  only  calculated  for  the  closet.  It  is 
difficult  to  command  the  attention  of  a  common  congregation,  be  the 
matter  ever  so  pliin  and  practical.  It  would  therefore  be  scarcely 
less  absurd  to  introduce  mathematical  calculations  than  such  disqui- 
sitions as  these. 

I  am  still  more  offended  with   those  preachers,  who  regularly  pay 


*  Sozom.  lib.  7.  cap.  19. 

t  Some  of  thn  homilies  of  Chrysostom  were  preached  without  a  text. 
Chrys.  Horn.  Post.  Red.  3,  4,  5,  6.  fee.  Melancthon  heard  a  priest  at  Pari= 
who  took  his  text  from  Aristotle's  Ethic?. 


DELIVERY  OP  A  SERMON. 


237 


their  audience  the  unwelcome  compliment  of  supposing  their  faith  in 
continual  danger  of  invasion  ;  and  conceive  it  absolutely  necessary  to 
be  constantly  insisting  on  the  proofs  of  revelation.  The  persons,  to 
whom  alone  such  reasoning  can  be  of  use,  take  care  very  seldom  to 
throw  themselves  in  its  way  ;  and,  as  Swift  remarks,  can  any  thing  be 
more  absurd,  "  than,  for  the  sake  of  three  or  four  fools,  who  are  past 
grace,  to  perplex  the  minds  of  well  disposed  people  with  doubts,  which 
probably  would  never  have  otherwise  come  into  their  minds  ?" 

The  church  of  God  was  never  intended  as  a  school  of  speculation, 
or  a  place  to  indulge  the  licentiousness  of  fancy  in  doubtful  disputa- 
tion. It  is  a  wretched  abuse  of  time  to  bewilder  our  hearers  in  the 
nice  distinctions  of  the  schoolmen,  in  the  explanation  of  mysteries, 
which  perhaps  are  not  to  be  explained,  or  which  at  least  require  much 
previous  study,  and  call  for  all  the  advantages  of  solitude,  and  of  leis- 
ure, to  enable  the  mind  to  comprehend  or  to  follow  the  tenour  of  the 
argument. 

But  the  most  absurd  and  useless  of  all  discourses  are  those,  which 
treat  of  questions  absolutely  removed  beyond  the  sphere  of  our  knowl- 
edge. Such  are  many  sermons  concerning  the  manner  of  the  divine 
existence;  the  state  of  the  soul  after  death  ;  the  nature  of  the  hypos- 
tatic union  ;  the  existence,  the  number  of  the  angels,  and  the  means 
of  their  communication  ;  what  would  have  been  the  state  of  Adam  if 
the  fall  had  never  taken  place  ;  and  abundance  of  other  topics,  which 
can  only  serve  to  gratify  an  idle  and  visionary  humour  of  speculation, 
and  can  answer  no  practical  end  whatever. 

In  this  place  it  may  not  be  improper  to  remark,  that  all  fantastical 
applications  of  Scripture  are  carefully  to  be  avoided.  It  is  dangerous 
on  any  occasion  to  depart  from  the  plain  track  of  common  sense  ;  and 
there  is  no  attempt  at  ingenuity  so  easy  as  that,  which  borders  upon 
nonsense.  Most  of  the  French  sermons  are  of  this  kind.*  There  is 
one  of  Massillon  upon  the  story  of  the  woman  of  Samaria,  which  will 
afford  a  tolerable  specimen.  "  I  find  here,"  says  the  preacher, 
"  three  reasons  for  resisting  the  grace  of  Christianity  :   1st,  her  station 

*  Those  critics,  whose  complaisance  or  whose  indolence  has  induced  them 
to  take  their  opiuion  of  Gallic  eloquence  from  the  critics  of  that  nation,  have 
rashly  assigned  the  preference  to  the  oratory  of  the  French  pulpit.  I  have 
gone  through  the  drudgery  of  perusing  all  the  most  celebrated  of  their  preach- 
ers ;  and  I  will  not  hesitate  to  declare,  that,  except  a  sermon  or  two  ot  Massil- 
lon, there  are  scarcely  any  which  deserve,  1  will  not  say  to  be  compared  with 
the  English  preachers,  but  to  be  read  at  all.  They  are  in  general  written,  in- 
deed, in  a  style  of  animated  rhetoric,  but  altogether  in  a  bad  taste.  They 
abound  in  points,  antitheses,  and  conceits.  But,  their  great  defect  is  a  poverty 
of  matter.  It  is  difficult,  through  the  mass  of  words,  to  find  any  ideas  at  all ; 
and  when  you  have  found  them,  as  Gratiano  says,  "  they  are  not  worth  the 
search. 


238  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

or  condition  :  Hovj  is  it  that  thou,  being  a  Jew,  aslccst  drink  of  me,  who 
am  a  woman  of  Samaria?  2d,  the  difficulty  ;  the  well  is  deep,  &lc.  3d, 
the  variety  of  opinions;  our  fathers  tvor  shipped  on  this  mountain,  fcc." 
The  heads  of  the  discourse  are  extremely  well  chosen  ;  but  it  is  ob- 
vious, that  the  application  of  the  text  to  them  is  mere  trifling  ;  a  sport 
of  the  fancy  in  opposition  to  every  principle  of  reason,  and  contrary 
to  that  seriousness  and  respect,  with  which  the  word  of  God  ought 
ever  to  be  treated. 

Lastly.  Unity  and  simplicity  are  in  every  case  essential  to  per- 
fection. A  sermon  must  have  one  determinate  end  and  object  ;  must 
be  confined  to  the  explaining  of  a  single  doctrine,  or  the  enforc- 
ing of  some  one  virtue.  An  accumulation  of  thought  always  oppres- 
ses the  human  mind  ;  and  where  there  are  too  many  arguments  or 
precepts,  there  is  a  great  chance  that  none  of  them  will  be  remem- 
bered.* Those  preachers  who  attempt  to  crowd  the  whole  duty  of  a 
man,  moral  and  religious,  into  a  single  sermon,  can  only  be  compared 
to  their  brethren  of  the  laity,  who  pretend  to  cure  all  diseases  by  a 
single  nostrum.  By  thus  attempting  to  give  you  every  thing,  they  in 
fact  give  you  nothing ;  and  we  find  that,  however  they  vary  their 
texts,  the  sermon  is  always  the  same ;  the  same  trite  chain  of  gen- 
eral sentiments,  without  any  specific  or  useful  instruction  whatever. 

By  recommending  an  attention  to  the  origin  of  the  institution,  I 
may  seem  to  have  insinuated,  that  a  long  text  is  generally  preferable 
to  a  short  one.  I  have  however  found  it  otherwise  by  experience, 
and  have  seldom  known  the  former  either  useful  or  agreeable.  A 
long  text  frequently  involves  such  a  number  of  propositions  as  must 
effectually  destroy  the  unity  of  a  discourse  ;  besides, ,that  a  text,  when 
well  chosen,  and  not  too  long,  will  commonly  be  remembered,  and  of 
itself  will  make  a  distinct  and  useful  impression  on  the  hearers. 

The  contrary  error  is,  however,  still  more  reprehensible.  It  is 
one  of  the  mean  artifices  of  barren  genius,  to  surprise  the  audience 
with  a  text  consisting  of  one  or  two  words.  I  have  heard  of  a  person 
of  this  description,  who  preached  from  the  words  "  Jehovah  Jireh," 
and  another,  from  the  monosyllable  "But."t  These  are  contemptible 

*  "  Propose  one  point  in  one  discourse,  and  stick  to  it ;  .a  hearernever  car- 
ries away  more  than  one  impression."  Palet's  Ordination  Sermon. 

t  He  perhaps  might  justify  himself  upon   the  same  principle  with  Dr.  Ea- 
chard's  divine,  who  made  and  one   of  the  heads  of  his  discourse,  adding  ; 
"  this  word  is  but  a  particle,  and  a  small  one  ;  but  small  things  are  not  to  be 
despised  ;  Matt,  xviii.  10;   Take  heed  thai  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little 
ones.''''  Contempt  of  the  Clergy,  p.  82. 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  239 

devices,  more  adapted  to  the  moving  theatre  of  the  mountebank  than 
to  the  pulpit,  and  can  only  serve  to  captivate  the  meanest  and  most 
ignorant  of  the  vulgar.* 

III.    OF  ARRANGEMENT. 

With  respect  to  arrangement,  it  will  also  be  necessary  to  have 
some  regard  to  what  has  been  remarked  concerning  the  origin  of 
preaching.  It  is  evident  that,  when  a  sermon  is  explanatory  or  illus- 
trative of  Scripture,  it  ought  to  follow  the  order  and  spirit  of  the  text. 
When  it  is  not  so,  it  must  follow  that  order,  which  is  dictated  by 
sound  logic,  and  the  laws  of  composition.  There  are  some  texts, 
which  contain  several  members,  or  inferior  propositions;  such  is  that 
of  Micah  vi.  8;  "  What  is  required  of  thee,  O  man,  but  to  do  justly, 
and  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God  ?"  Such  is  that 
of  St.  Paul,  1.  Cor.  xiii ;  "  Charity  suffereth  long,  and  is  kind  ;  char- 
ity envieth  not;  charity  vaunteth  not  itself,"  &c.  and  these  naturally 
divide  themselves.  Though  1  think  young  preachers  ought  to  be 
cautioned  rather  to  follow  the  order  of  the  sense  than  of  the  words. 
Again,  there  are  some  texts,  which  as  it  were  carry  the  preacher 
along  with  the  course  of  the  narrative  ;  of  this  we  have  an  example 
in  Massillon's  sermon  on  the  parable  of  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus. 
Some  texts,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  subject,  will  only  admit  of 
two  divisions,  even  when  they  seem  to  contain  more  parts  or  mem- 
bers ;  for  instance,  Bishop  Taylor's  famous  sermon  on  Matt.  xvi.  26 ; 
"  What  shall  a  man  profit,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his 
owi^^oul  ;  or,  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  V  Here 
the  preacher  divides  his  sermon  into  two  parts  ;  and  first  inquires  in- 
to the  value  of  iie  world,  and  how  far  a  man  may  be  profited  by  the 
possession  of  it ;  and,  secondly,  he  inquires  into  the  nature  and  value 
of  a  soul,  and  the  loss  to  be  sustained  in  parting  with  it.f 

♦  Never  choose  such  texts  as  have  uot  a  complete  sense  ;  for,  only  imper- 
tinent and  foolish  people  will  attempt  to  preach  from  one  or  two  words,  which 
signify  nothing."  Claude,  c.  i. 

"  Give  me  a  serious  pi'eacher,  (says  Fenelon,)  who  speaks  for  my  sake,  and 
not  for  his  own." 

t  Sermons  will  perhaps  admit  of  another  classification.  1.  When  the  dis- 
course is  altogether  an  explanation  or  elucidation  of  the  text.  2.  When  a  prac- 
tical application  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  text.  And,  3.  When  both  these  ob- 
jects are  united  ;  and  I  apprehend  it  will  be  found  the  most  acceptable  mode 
of  preaching  on  doctrinal  texts,  or  those,  which  require  explanation,  to  endeav- 
our towards  the  close  of  the  discourse,  to  draw  some  practical  inference  from  it. 

Vitringa's  rules  for  preaching  on  doctrinal  texts,  are — "  1.  State  the  dor- 
trine  clearly.  2.  Prove  and  illustrate  it  by  parallel  texts ;  and,  if  possible, 
by  reasoning.  3.  Vindicate  it,  if  you  think  any  of  your  auditors  deny  it. 
4.  Bring  it  hot»e  to  the  heart."  Robinson's  Claude,  vol.  I,  p.  402. 

"  TheSerraons  of  the  third  century  (says  Mr.  Robinson)  are  divisible  intu 


240  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

There  are,  however,  texts,  which  contain  only  one  simple  propo- 
sition. In  this  case,  the  sermon  assumes  the  form  of  an  essay  :  and 
the  judgement  of  the  author  must  direct  him  to  that  arrangement, 
which  appears  most  commodious.  For  instance,  if  the  purpose  of  the 
discourse  be  to  recommend  the  practice  of  some  moral  virtue,  the 
preacher  may  first  state  its  general  utility  to  mankind  ;  afterwards  its 
necessity,  according  to  the  law  of  God  ;  and  lastly,  he  may  enforce 
it  in  a  particular  address  to  his  hearers,  founded  on  the  preceding  ar- 
guments. 

The  sermons  of  the  last  century  in  general  consisted  of  too  many 
divisions.  The  hearers  were  bewildered  in  pursuing  the  arrangement 
of  the  preacher,  and  lost  the  sentiments  while  they  were  attending 
to  the  order  of  the  discourse.  There  are  indeed  some  sermons,  which 
only  deserve  the  name  of  heads  of  an  oration.  The  moderns  have 
fallen  into  an  opposite  extreme,  namely,  a  total  neglect  of  order  and 
method.  Common  sense  points  out  a  middle  course  :  it  is  obvious, 
that  a  few  natural  and  easy  divisions  assist  the  memory  ;  while  it  is 
commonly  perplexed  and  confused  by  too  many. 

Thus  far  as  to  the  arrangement  of  sermons  in  particular  ;  but  there 
is  an  arrangement,  or  order,  of  a  general  nature,  which  must  be  attend- 
ed to  in  every  composition  ;  and  is  absolutely  necessary  to  be  observ- 
ed in  those  discourses,  which  are  founded  upon  such  texts  as  contain 
a  simple  proposition,  and  therefore  treat  of  the  virtues  or  vices,  or  of 
the  particular  doctrines  of  religion  in  an  abstract  manner,  and  with- 
out any  regard  to  the  literal  order  of  the  text.  Perhaps  the  sin^est 
division  is  that  of  Aristotle,*  into  the  exordium,  which  introducjre^the 
speaker  and  the  subject ;  the  proposition,  which  expjains  the  design 
of  the  oration  ;  the  proof ,  or  argument,  which  supports  it ;  and  the 
conclusion,  which  applies  it  directly  to  the  audience. 

I.  With  respect  to  the  exordium,  or  introduction,  the  first  rule  is, 
that  it  be  very  clear.  For,  as  the  intent  of  it  is  to  prepare  the  minds 
of  the  hearers,  if  any  thing  abstruse  or  paradoxical  occur,  there  will 
be  some  danger  of  alienating  their  minds  in  such  a  manner,  that  they 
will  probably  not  be  able  to  recover  their  attention  during  the  whole 
discourse.  For  this  reason,  long  sentences  ought  to  be  avoided,  as 
they  are  apt  to  perplex  the  understanding,  as  well  as  to  fatigue  the 
ear,  and  run  the  speaker  out  of  breath  before  he  is  properly  entered 
upon  his  subject. 

three  general  parts,      1.  A  short  introduction.     2.  An  exposition  of  the  text. 
And,  last,  a  moral  exhortation  arising  out  of  the  discussion."  Ibid. 

•  *  Rhet.  1.  iii.  c  13. 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  241 

In  the  second  place,  an  exordium  should  always  be  cool,  temper- 
ate, and  modest.  The  exordium  of  Sterne  to  his  sermon  on  the  house 
of  mourning, — "  That  I  deny," — is  a  paltry  artifice,  unworthy  the 
imitation  of  any  man  of  taste  or  genius.  Indeed  I  know  no  author 
so  likely  as  Sterne  to  corrupt  the  style  and  taste  of  his  readers  ;  all 
his  writings  are  full  of  trick  and  affectation,  (the  very  opposite  of 
those  chaste  models  of  eloquence  which  antiquity  has  transmitted  to 
us,)  and  are  at  best  only  calculated  to  excite  the  momentary  admira- 
tion of  the  unthinking  part  of  mankind. 

Thirdly.  It  is  remarked  by  Cicero,  that  a  common-place  exordi- 
um, such  as  the  following,  "  Happiness  is  the  great  end  and  aim  of 
all  human  pursuits,'"  is  generally  a  token  of  a  barren  genius,  and 
has  therefore  a  very  ill  effect.  As  the  whole  oration  is  necessarilly  con- 
fined within  very  narrow  limits,  that  exordium,  which  leads  most  di- 
rectly to  the  subject,  is  certainly  to  be  preferred. 

Fourthly.  An  exordium  should  be  agreeable  and  easy.  The 
pleasing  is  absolutely  necessary  to  conciliate  the  good  opinion  of  ev- 
ery audience. 

Fifthly.  I  would  recommend  brevity  as  a  particular  excellence 
on  the  present  occasion.  It  was  the  usual  custom  of  the  old  divines  to 
introduce  their  discourses  by  a  long  historical  or  explanatory  exordium, 
setting  forth  the  state  and  circumstances  of  the  person  to  whom  the 
text  related,  &c,,  which  was  nothing  more  than  retailing  the  history 
of  the  Bible,  in  language  always  inferior,  and  frequently  very  indiffer- 
ent and  homely  ;  as  our  auditors,  however,  are  not  quite  so  patient, 
these  tedious  introductions  are  necessarily  and  properly  laid  aside.* 

I  would  wish  one  point  to  be  particularly  adverted  to  in  this  place  ; 
and  that  is,  that  the  eloquence  of  the  pulpit  is  essentially  different 
from  that  of  political  assemblies.  In  the  latter  it  may  be  proper,  and 
is  probably  sometimes  absolutely  necessary,  to  preface  a  motion  or 
argument  by  some  account  of  the  speaker  and  his  motives.  In  the 
pulpit,  there  can  be  nothing  so  disgusting,  so  impertinent,  and  so  vul- 
gar, as  egotism.  The  preacher  should  never  appear  himself;  he  is 
only  the  representative  of  another  ;  he  comes  to  explain  the  word  of 

*  Brevity  in  every  part  of  a  composition  desig^ned  for  the  pulpit,  appears  to 
have  been  at  all  times  a  considerable  desideratum  with  great  numbers  of  the 
people.  Frequent  exhortations,  to  hear  patiently  the  word  of  God,  occur  in 
the  writings  of  the  fathers,  and  various  stratagems  were  used  to  detain  their 
auilitors  till  the  close  of  the  service,  even  so  far  as  to  lock  the  doors  of  the 
church  and  confine  them.  These  ingenious  devices  were  enforced  by  ecclesi- 
astical laws  ;  and  the  4th  council  of  Carthage  enacted,  that  those,  who  showed 
a  contempt  for  the  discourses  of  their  teachers  should  be  excommunicated  from 
the  church.  Cyprian  Kit.  Cv.sar.  c.  12.  Cone.  Carth.  4,  Can.  24. 

31 


242  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

God,  and  not  to  sacrifice  to  his  own  vanity.  The  long  introductions 
of  Cicero  or  Demosthenes  are,  therefore,  not  to  be  imitated  by  pulpit 
orators. 

II.  The  necessity  of  acquainting  the  audience  with  the  design  of 
the  speaker  is  so  obvious,  that  little  need  be  urged  on  the  subject  of 
the  propositive  part  of  a  discourse.  If  any  definitions  of  terms  be  re- 
quired, (as  may  be  the  case,  when  the  text  is  liable  to  be  misunder- 
stood, or  when  some  material  doctrine  depends  upon  the  interpreta- 
tion of  that  passage  of  Scripture,)  it  will  be  proper  to  introduce  them 
in  this  part ;  since,  if  deferred  to  the  middle  or  the  conclusion,  they 
may  chance  to  prove  soporiferous.  In  truth,  I  do  not  know  any  thing 
more  disgusting  than  insisting  too  much  on  the  definition  of  single 
terms.  M.  Claude,  who  appears  in  general  to  have  had  very  just 
notions  of  preaching,  errs  greatly  against  simplicity  in  this  respect. 
In  one  of  the  outlines  of  sermons,  which  he  exhibits  as  models,  from 
a  single  expression  in  the  text,  "  Whoever  will  come  after  me,  let 
him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,"  he  takes  occasion  to  intro- 
duce a  long  dissertation  on  sanctification,  another  on  affliction  ;  and 
the  plan  of  the  discourse,  according  to  his  arrangement,  contains  the 
substance  of  at  least  four  moderate  sermons. 

III.  The  proofs,  or  argumentative  part,  must  entirely  depend  up- 
on the  nature  of  the  subject.  There  is  an  excellent  collection  of  top- 
ics upon  moral  subjects  in  Aristotle's  Rhetoric  ;  but  Bishop  Wilkins's 
Ecclesiastes,  or  Gift  of  preaching,  is  one  of  the  most  ingenious  books 
that  I  have  seen  for  the  assistance  of  young  preachers. 

I  cannot  pass  this  opportunity  without  again  recommending,  in 
the  strongest  terms,  an  attention  to  imify.  Without  this,  a  composi- 
tion (if  indeed  it  deserve  the  name)  can  never  be  useful ;  and  least 
of  all  a  composition  which  is  to  be  heard,  and  not  studied.  A  good 
sermon  must  have  a  single  object,  the  more  simple  the  better  ;  and 
every  part  of  the  discourse  must  tend  to  impress  this  object  forcibly 
on  the  mind.  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  add,  that  a  judicious  preach- 
er will  form  a  sort  of  climax  in  his  reasoning,  and  reserve  his  most 
forcible  arguments  for  the  last.  The  argument  ought  also  to  be  full 
and  pointed.  I  have  heard  sermons,  in  which,  after  the  principal 
matter  was  closed,  a  tail,  or  codicil,  containing  something  not  very 
essential  to  the  subject,   succeeded,  which,   like  Pope's  Alexandrine, 

— "•  diagg-ed  its  slow  length  along." 

There  is  a  very  good  receipt  for  sermon-making  in  M.  Claude's 
Essay  on  that  subject.  I  would  even  advise  the  unpractised  student 
to  adopt  occasionally  some  of  his  topics,  and  form  them  into  sermons, 


DELIVERY  OP  A  SEttMON.  243 

in  the  order  which  he  has  prescribed  ;  this  exercise  will  tend  to  give 
him  just  notions  of  method,  and  a  facility  in  arranging  his  ideas  ; 
and  will  not  only  be  more  improving,  but  more  creditable  than  the 
usual  practice  of  transcribing  printed  sermons. 

Another  practice,  which  I  would  recommend  to  young  divines,  is, 
before  they  sit  down  to  compose  a  sermon,  to  read  some  of  the  best 
authors,  who  have  treated  of  the  same  subject ;  to  close  the  books, 
and  endeavour  to  throw  the  matter  into  that  order,  which  appeared 
most  perspicuous  and  pleasing.  Reading  different  authors  upon  the 
subject  will  give  a  variety  to  their  ideas  ;  and,  by  writing  without  the 
books  before  them,  the  expressions  will  at  least  be  their  own. 

If,  however,  the  young  preacher  be  altogether  diffident  of  his  own 
powers  ;  not  willing  to  hazard  original  composition,  and  yet  desirous 
of  improvement ;  let  him  take  the  substance  of  his  discourse  from 
some  approved  commentary  on  the  Scriptures,  and  occasionally  en- 
liven the  explication  by  some  remarks  of  his  own.  Let  him  draw  a 
few  practical  inferences  at  the  conclusion  ;  and  this  will  not  only  im- 
prove him  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  but  will  gradually  ex- 
ercise his  judgement,  and  form  his  taste  for  composition. 

I  must  add,  that  most  of  the  proofs,  which  Christian  preachers  in- 
trcduc  ,  ought  to  be  scriptural  proofs. — If  they  preach  morality,  it 
must  be  the  morality  of  the  Gospel.  Unless  a  sincere  and  fervent 
strain  of  piety  pervade  the  whole  composition,  it  will  not,  nor  indeed 
ought  it  to  meet  with  general  regard.  The  sermons  of  Archbishop 
Seeker  are  deserving  of  high  commendation  in  this  respect ;  but  the 
most  perfect  models  are  to  be  found  in  a  volume  lately  published 
by  an  amiable  and  accomplished  prelate  of  our  church.* 

IV.  The  conclusion  of  a  sermon  should  not  (indeed,  considering 
the  present  length  of  discourses,  must  not)  be  prolix.  It  ought  in 
general  to  be  practical ;  and  it  is  obvious,  that  it  requires  a  more 
animated  style  than  any  other  part  of  the  composition.  I  do  not 
know  a  more  useful  form  for  a  concluding  address,  than  that  which 
consists  of  a  recapitulation  of  the  principal  matter  of  the  sermon  ;  in- 
deed, if  the  subject  be  not  very  plain  and  obvious,  such  a  conclusion 
is  absolutely  necessary.  It  serves  not  only  to  recal  all  the  useful  and 
striking  passages  to  the  minds  of  the  audience,  but  gives  them  a 
clearer  view  of  the  whole  than  they  would  otherwise  have,  and  im- 
presses it  on  the  memory.!     Variety  is  however  necessary  ;  and  I 

*  The  practice  here  recommended  has  been  the  torpedo  of  the  Engrlish  pul- 
pit. Editor. 

t  It  would  not  be  easy  for  the  popular  preachers  of  the  day  to  adopt  this 


244  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

confess  I  do  not  know  so  great  a  blemish  in  Dr.  Ogden's  excellent 
sermons,  as  a  want  of  variety  in  their  conclusions.  If  the  peroration 
do  not  consist  of  a  recapitulation,  it  ought  at  least  to  proceed  natural- 
ly and  reguhrly  from  the  subject. 

On  the  whole,  it  is  practice  only,  which  can  imoart  facility  and 
method  in  the  arrangement  of  our  ideas.  Rules  can  only  serve  to 
restrain  the  irregularities  of  the  imagination.  It  would  be  impossi- 
ble, in  such  a  dissertation  as  the  present,  or  indeed  in  any  work  of 
criticism,  to  furnish  thoughts  or  sentiments.  Since  Mr.  Addison  re- 
commended the  practice,  it  is  become  very  common  among  the  clergy 
to  preach  from  the  sermons  of  approved  authors,  either  by  abridging 
them,  or  sometimes  by  transcribing  them  entire.  The  practice  is,  in  my 
opinion,  more  for  the  benefit  of  the  audience,  than  of  the  clergy  them- 
selves, though  the  former  are  the  only  persons  likely  to  complain.* 
What  person  of  common  sense,  indeed,  would  not  rather  hear  a  ser- 
mon of  Sherlock,  of  Seeker,  of  Porteus,  or  of  Blair,  than  the  trite  and 
unconnected  jargon,  with  which  we  are  generally  assailed  by  the  most 
popular  preachers  in  the  metropolis  ?  If  these  men  (whose  voices 
are  generally  good,  and  whose  manner,  if  not  quite  so  affected,  might 
be  rather  conciliating)  would,  in  the  room  of  their  own  bombast,  fa- 
vour their  auditors  with  a  good  printed  sermon,  they  would  find  that 
they  might,  in  general,  pass  undetected,  and  their  exhibitions  would 
not  be  so  uniformly  disgusting  as  they  are  to  persons  of  taste  and  eru- 
dition. 

The  most  formidable  objection  against  the  use  of  printed  sermons, 
is,  that  it  removes  the  younger  clergy  out  of  the  way  of  improvement, 
and  probably  produces  a  habit  of  indolence.  When,  however,  they 
do  not  compose  their  own  discourses,  I  would  advise  them  to  apply 
to  approved  authors,  rather  than  to  obscure  or  indifferent  writers,  as 
is  frequently  done  to  avoid  discovery.  It  is  much  better  to  be 
sometimes  detected,  than  to  tire  an  audience  by  continually  preach- 
ing indifferent   matter ;    and   the  observation  is  but  too  true,   that, 

form,  as  their  compositions  are  mere  farra°'os,  collected  from  all  quarters  of  the 
globe,  with  no  unity  of  subject,  no  regard  to  text,  no  express  object  whatever 
in  view.  I  speak  not  of  extempore  preachers,  since  method  is  hardly  to  be  ex- 
pected from  them.  1  speak  of  those  who  pretend  to  write,  and  would  be 
thought  very  profound  theologians. 

*  This  practice  is  so  far  from  novel,  that  it  is  of  considerable  antiquity  in 
the  church.  Xugustin  rather  commended  than  blamed  those  preachers,  who, 
when  conscious  of  their  own  inability  to  compose  well,  availed  themselves  of 
the  performances  of  others.     Aug.  Doctrin.  Christ.  I.  4.  c.  29. 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  245 

where  there  is  not  genius  to  compose,  there  is  seldom  judgement  to 

select. 

IV.       OF  STYLE. 

The  third  object  that  I  proposed  to  treat  of  in  this  dissertation,  is 
style.  I  must  however  premise,  that  in  the  compositions  for  the  pul- 
pit, as  well  as  iu  every  other,  unless  there  be  a  ground-work  of  good 
sense  and  argument,  unless  there  be  a  solidity  of  reasoning  and  ener- 
gy of  sentiment,  all  the  graces  of  style  will' be  accumulated  in  vain. 

The  essentials  of  a  good  style,  at  least  as  far  as  regards  the  pres- 
ent subject,  may  be  reduced  to  three  :  perspicuitif,  purity,  and  a  mo- 
derate portion  o^  ornament. 

I.  Perspicuity  is  the  first  excellence  of  style  ;  indeed  I  do  not 
know  so  decisive  a  proof  of  genius.  A  smooth  and  polished  diction, 
or  pompous  figures,  are  frequently  the  achievements  of  dulness;  but 
it  is  the  characteristic  of  genius  alone  to  flash  conviction  and  instruc- 
tion on  the  minds  of  the  audience.*  Perspicuity  will  depend,  in  the 
first  place,  on  the  choice  of  words;  and,  secondly,  on  the  arrangement 
of  them. 

As  far  as  regards  the  choice  of  loords,  obscurity  results,  in  the  first 
place, 

From  obsolete  or  affected  language,  which  is  not  generally  un- 
derMood.  No  person  of  taste  would  wish  at  present  to  imitate  the 
language  of  our  liturgy  in  the  use  of  the  word  jirevent, — "  Prevent  us, 
O  Lord,  in  all  our  doings  ;"  nor  in  that  of  the  word  after, — "  O 
Lord,  reward  us  not  after  our  iniquities."  Many  abuses  of  words 
have  been  introduced  from  the  French  idiom :  Lord  Bolingbroke,  for 
instance,  says,  "  by  the  persons  I  intend  here,"  instead  of  I  mean. — 
Analogous  to  this  is  the  use  of  Latinisms,  as  integrity  to  denote  e7i- 
tireness,  conscience  for  consciousness  ;  "  The  conscience  of  approving 
one's  self  a  benefactor  to  mankind  is  the  noblest  recompense  for  being 
so." 

Again,  obscurity  proceeds  from  the  use  of  ambiguous  or  indefinite 
words.  Examples  of  this  occur  in  the  following  sentences:  "As  for 
such  animals  as  are  wjoriff/,  (or  noxious,)  we  have  aright  to  destroy 
them."  "  The  Christians  rudely  disturbed  the  service  of  paganism  ; 
and,  rushing  in  crowds  round  the  tribunals  of  the  magistrates,  called 
upon  them  to  pronounce  and  inflict  the  sentence  of  the  law."     Here 


*  "  By  perspicuity,  (says  Quintilian,)   care  is  taken,  not  that  the  hearer 
may  understand,  ifhe  will  ;  but.  that  he  must  understand,  whether  he   will  or 


not 


246  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

it  is  not  easy  to  define  what  service  is  meant,  whether  civil  or  religious. 
A  bimilar  ambiguity  may  be  found  in  the  same  author.  Speaking  of 
the  cruelty  of  Valentinian,  the  historian  adds  : — "  The  merit  of  Maxi- 
min,  who  had  slaughtered  the  noblest  families  of  Rome,  was  rewarded 
with  the  royal  approbation  and  the  prefecture  of  Gaul.  Two  fierce 
and  enormous  bears,  distinguished  by  the  appellations  of  Innocence 
and  Micaaurea,  could  alone  deserve  to  share  the  favour  of  Maximin." 
It  is  evident  that  we  must  have  recourse  to  the  context  to  understand 
that  these  creatures  were  not  the  favourites  of  Maximin,  but  of  Val- 
entinian. A  writer  on  criticism  has  the  following  sentence : — 
"  There  appears  to  be  a  remarkable  difference  between  one  of  the  first 
of  ancient  and  of  modern  critics."  The  embarrassment  of  this  sen- 
tence would  have  been  entirely  avoided  by  inserting  the  words  one  of 
the  first  a  second  time,  which  probably  an  apprehension  of  offending 
the  ear  prevented. 

The  cases  are  so  very  numerous,  in  which  an  ill  choice  of  words, 
or  an  imprudent  use  of  them,  may  darken  the  expression,  that  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  prescribe  any  definite  rules  upon  the 
subject. — Perfection  in  this  respect  is  only  to  be  acquired  by  practice. 
Possibly  the  following  remarks  may  be  of  some  use  to  young  writers. 
First.  Endeavour  to  inform  yourself  perfectly  concerning  the  etymol- 
ogy and  meaning  of  words.  Secondly.  Consult  the  best  modern  au- 
thors, and  observe  their  different  applications.  The  original  sense 
is  not  always  a  certain  guide  in  the  use  of  common  words  ;  though, 
if  nicely  attended  to,  it  will  sometimes  help  us  to  the  reasons  of  their 
application.  Thirdly.  Be  not  too  anxious  for  variety  of  expression. 
It  is  well  observed  by  the  Abbe  Girard,  that  when  a  performance 
grows  dull,  it  is  not  so  much  because  the  ear  is  tired  by  the  frequent 
repetition  of  the  same  sound,  as  because  the  mind  is  fatigued  by  the 
frequent  recurrence  of  the  same  idea.  Lastly.  We  cannot  be  too 
much  on  our  guard  against  the  vulgar  idiom.  Most  writers  who  af- 
fect ease  and  familiarity  in  writing,  are  apt  to  slide  into  it. 

"  But  ease  in  writing  flows  from  art,  not  chance, 

"  As  those  move  easiest  who  have  learu'd  to  dance." 

That  ambiguity,  as  well  as  inaccuracy,  is  not  uncommonly  the  effect 
of  introducing  the  vulgar  phraseology  into  written  composition,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  very  incorrect  and  absurd  use  of  the  active  verb  to  lay, 
instead  of  the  neuter  verb  to  lie.  This  solecism  has  arisen  I  presume 
from  confounding  the  past  tense  of  the  latter  with  the  present  of  the 
former  verb.     Let  it  be  observed,  however,  that  when  a  noun  follows 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  247 

in  the  objective  case,  the  verb  active  (to  lay)  may  be  used  ;  as,  to  lay 
doion  an  employment ;  and  sometimes  when  the  verb  is  reflected  ;  as, 

"  Soft  on  the  flowVy  herb  1  found  me  laid.'''' 
But,  to  say  "  Death  lai/s  upon  her  like  an  untimely  frost,"  or  to  say 
"  I  have  a  work  laying  by  me,"  would  be  a  gross  and  intolerable  bar- 
barism. 

Perspicuity  is  injured  by  bad  arrangement,  in  the  following  in- 
stances. 

1st.  By  separating  the  adjective  from  its  proper  substantive  ;  "  they 
chose  to  indulge  themselves  in  the  hour  o^  natural  festivity." — Better 
"  in  the  natural  hour  of  festivity." 

2dly.  By  using  the  same  pronoun  in  reference  to  different  persons 
or  tilings,  in  the  same  sentence  ;  "  and  they  did  all  eat  and  were  filled  ; 
and  they  took  up  of  the  fragments  that  remained  twelve  baskets  full." 
By  the  last  they  it  is  difficult  to  say  who  are  meant,  the  multitude,  or 
only  the  disciples.  The  following  sentences  are  faulty  on  account  of 
an  indiscreet  use  of  the  relative.  Speaking  of  Porto  Bello ;  "this 
celebrated  harbour,  tchich  was  formerly  very  well  defended  by  forts, 
lohich  Admiral  Vernon  destroyed  in  1740,  seems  to  afford  an  entrance 
GOO  toises  broad  ;  but  is  so  straitened  with  rocks  that  are  near  the 
surface  of  the  water,  that  it  is  reduced  to  a  very  narrow  channel." 
Better  thus :  "  this  celebrated  harbour  was  defended,  &c."  "  It 
seems  to  afford,  &-c."  "  This  activity  drew  great  numbers  of  enter- 
prising men  over  to  Virginia,  who  came  either  in  search  o^  fortune, 
or  of  liberty,  ivhich  is  the  only  compensation  for  the  want  of  ?<;"  here 
the  two  antecedents  are  so  confounded,  that  it  requires  a  pause  to  dis- 
tinguish them,  and  the  construction  is  very  ungraceful  as  well  as  ob- 
j  scure.  One  mode  of  avoiding  ambiguity  in  this  case  will  be,  when 
two  antecedents  occur,  putting  one  of  them,  if  possible,  in  the  plural, 
and  the  other  in  the  singular  number. 

3dly.  Obscurity  is  produced  by  separating  the  adverb  and  the 
adjective,  or  the  adverb  and  the  verb.  Ex.  "  A  power  is  requisite  of 
fixing  the  intellectual  eye  upon  successive  objects  so  steadily,  as  that 
the  more  may  never  prevent  us  from  doing  justice  to  the  less  impor- 
tant." "  His  subject  is  precisely  of  that  kind,  which  a  daring  imag- 
ination could  alone  have  adopted :"  here  it  is  not  accurately  defined 
whether  a  daring  imagination  only  could  have  adopted,  &c.  or  wheth- 
er it  could  have  adopted  that  subject  only,  and  no  other.  ''  He  con- 
jured the  senate,  that  the  purity  of  his  reign  might  not  be  stained  by 
the  blood  even  of  a  guilty  senator  ;"  the  arrangement  would  be  more 
perfect,  "  by  the  blood  of  even  a  guilty  senator."     "  He  atoned  for 


348  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

the  murder  of  an  innocent  son,  by  the  execution,  perhaps,  of  a  guilty 
wife  ;"  the  doubt  in  this  sentence  may  apply  to  the  reality  of  the  ex- 
ecution. "  Their  intimacy  had  commenced  in  the  happier  period, 
perhaps,  of  their  youth  and  obscurity." 

4thly.  The  following  is  an  example  of  ambiguity  arising  from  the 
wrong  position  of  a  conjunction.  The  historian,  speaking  of  an  im- 
politic edict  of  Julian,  thus  expresses  himself;  "  He  enacted  that,  in 
a  time  of  scarcity,  it  (corn)  should  be  sold  at  a  price,  which  had  sel- 
dom been  known  in  the  most  plentiful  years."  A  common  reader 
would  infer  from  the  above,  that  it  was  a  standing  order,  that  corn 
should  in  every  time  of  scarcity  be  sold  cheaper  than  in  a  time  of 
plenty,  which  does  not  appear  from  the  context  to  be  the  intention  of 
the  author  Speaking  of  parents  misjudging  of  the  conduct  of  school- 
masters, a  modern  author  on  education  adds  ;  "  It  has  broke*  the 
peace  of  many  an  ingenuous  man,  who  had  engaged  in  the  care  of 
youth,  and  paved  the  way  to  the  ruin  of  hopeful  boys.  It  is  not  per- 
fectly clear  whether  the  circumstance  or  the  master  "  paved  the  way, 
&c."  It  is  impossible  to  decipher  the  following  sentence.  Respect- 
ing the  Pennsylvania  marble,  of  which  chimney-pieces,  tables,  &.c. 
are  made,  the  historian  adds  :  "  These  valuable  materials  could  not 
have  been  found  in  common  in  the  houses,  unless  they  had  been  lav- 
ished in  the  churches." 

Sthly.  Perspicuity  is  injured  very  frequently  by  the  fear  of  con- 
cluding a  sentence  with  a  trifling  word ;  but  surely,  however  ungrace- 
ful, a  confused  style  is  a  much  greater  blemish.  "  The  court  of  chan- 
cery," says  a  respectable  author,  "  frequently  mitigates,  and  breaks 
"  the  teeth  of  the  common  law."  From  this  sentence  it  might  be  in- 
ferred, that  it  mitigated  the  teeth.  Better,  tlierefore  ;  ''  frequently  mit- 
igates the  common  law,  and  breaks  the  teeth  of  it,"  or  "  its  teeth." 

6thly.  It  is  an  old  observation,  that  the  desire  of  brevity  generally 
induces  obscurity.  This  is  exemplified  in  many  forms  of  expression, 
to  which  habit  serves  to  reconcile  us,  but  which  are  in  themselves 
really  ambiguous.  Thus  we  speak  of  "  the  reformation  of  Luther  ;" 
which,  if  the  circumstance  were  not  well  understood,  might  mean  the 
reformation  of  the  man,  instead  of  the  reformation  of  the  church. 

7thly.  An  error  opposite  to  this  is  long  sentences  and  parenthe- 
ses. Long  periods,  however,  seldom  create  obscurity,  when  the  na- 
tural order  of  thought  is  preserved  ;  especially  if  each  division,  clause, 
or  member  of  the  sentence,  be  complete   in  itself     It  is  in  general 

♦  Broke  instead  of  broken,  is  bad  grammar. 


DELIVERY    OF    A    SERMON.  249 

the  insertion  of  foreign  matter,  and  parenthetical  sentences,  that  con- 
fuse a  style. 

From  these  few  observations  concerning  perspicuity,  it  will  be 
sufficiently  obvious,  that  the  obscurity  of  some  preachers  does  not  re- 
sult from  the  profundity  and  sublimity  of  their  matter,  (as  they  would 
wish  us  to  believe,)  nor  yet  altogether  from  a  confusion  of  ideas,  but 
frequently  from  a  turbid  and  perplexed  style.  In  general,  however, 
we  may  safely  lay  it  down  as  an  incontrovertible  maxim,  that  the  ser- 
mon, which  is  not  clear  and  intelligible,  is  the  worst  of  sermons  : 
since,  however  trite  the  matter,  however  vulgar  the  language,  if  it  be 
understood,  something  may  still  be  gleaned  from  it. 

II.  The  second  essential  of  a  good  style,  which  I  pointed  out,  was 
purity,  or  elegance.  The  style  of  sermons,  I  am  ready  to  grant, 
ought  to  be  suited  in  general  to  the  audience.  But  there  is  a  certain 
style,  which  is  adapted  to  people  of  almost  all  descriptions;  that,  I 
mean,  which  equally  avoids  technical  and  affected  expressions,  and 
those  which  are  mean  and  vulgar.  In  pursuing  this  subject,  that  I 
may  not  fatigue  the  reader  with  new  distinctions,  I  shall  follow  the 
method  which  I  adopted  in  the  former  case,  and  shall  first  consider 
purity  of  style  as  relating  to  the  choice  of  words  ;  and,  next,  as  to  the 
arrangement  of  them. 

The  offences  against  punVy  of  style,  as  far  as  respects  the  choice 
of  words,  may  be  reduced  to  the  following  heads.  1.  Obsolete  or  un- 
common expressions.*     2.  Vulgarisms.     3.  Jargon,  or  cant. 

1.  In  an  age  of  novelty  we  have  very  little  to  apprehend  from  ob- 
solete expressions.  Scarcely  any  person,  who  is  at  all  conversant 
with  polite  company,  would  use  such  expressions  as  behoof,  behest, 
peradventure,  sundry,  anon,  &c.  It  is  not  a  very  easy  matter  to  de- 
termine the  era  of  pure  English  ;  but  I  think  we  should  not  look  fur- 
ther back  than  the  revolution:  Hooker,  Bacon,  Milton,  Hobbes,  and 
even  Temple,  are  scarcely  to  be  considered  as  authorities  in  this  re- 
spect. 

Contrary  to  this,  is  the  more  fashionable  error  of  using  affected 
language,  and  particularly  Gallicisms.  This  nation  has  been  little 
indebted  to  the  literature  of  France ;  and  we  have  no  occasion  to 
change  the  bullion  of  our  language  for  the  tinsel  of  theirs.  Dr.  Camp- 
bell has,  with  great  accuracy,  collected  a  variety  of  these  new  import- 

*  In  words,  as  fashions,  the  same  rule  will  hold  ; 
Alike  fantastic,  if  too  new  or  old. 
Be  not  the  first  by  whom  the  new  are  try'd, 
Nor  yet  the  last  to  lay  the  old  aside. 

Ess.  on  Grit. 

32 


250  ON  THE   COMPOSITION  AND 

ed  phrases,  which  he  very  properly  calls,  "  stray  words,  or  exiles," 
that  have  no  affinity  to  our  language,  and  indeed  are  no  better  than 
insects  of  the  day.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  literature  to 
adopt  some  standard  of  language  ;  there  is  no  setting  bounds  to  the. 
liberty  of  coining  words,  if  it  be  at  all  admitted;  and,  in  that  case, 
the  invaluable  productions  of  our  ancestors  will  soon  become  totally 
unintelligible. 

2.  But  the  more  dangerous  vice,  because  it  is  the  more  common, 
and  especially  among  the  popular  preachers  of  the  day,  is  vulgarity. 
Some  instances  of  this,  however,  are  to  be  found  in  very  approved  au- 
thors, and  seem  to  demonstrate  how  necessary  it  is  to  be  on  our  guard 
against  it.  Lord  Kaims  speaks  of  the  comedies  of  Aristophanes  wal- 
lowing in  looseness  and  detraction,  (which  is  moreover  a  false  meta- 
phor ;)  of  "  the  pushing  genius  of  a  nation  ;  of  a  nation  being  devoid 
of  boweh,"  &LC.  The  following  phrase  is  surely  intolerably  low  for 
serious  composition  :  "  To  imagine  that  the  gratifying  of  any  sense, 
or  the  indulging  of  any  delicacy  in  meat,  drink,  or  apparel,  is  in  itself 
a  vice,  can  never  enter  into  a  head  that  is  not  disordered,  &c."  Dr. 
Beattie  is  not  free  from  such  expressions  as  •'  a  longtvinded  rhetori- 
cian," "  screaming  and  squalling,"  &i,c.  and  Dr.  Blair  speaks  of  a  cir- 
cumstance popping  out  upon  us  ;  of  Milton  having  chalked  out  a  new 
road  in  poetry  ;  of  Achilles  pitching  upon  Briseis,  &-c. — Perhaps  noth- 
ing but  good  books  and  good  company  can  purify  the  style  from  coarse 
and  vulgar  expressions  ;  sometimes,  indeed,  the  aptness  of  these  words 
renders  it  difficult  to  reject  them.  When,  however,  we  meet  with  a 
low  word,  we  ought  diligently  to  look  for  one  synonymous  to  it.  It 
would  probably  be  a  very  improving  exercise  to  make  a  collection  as 
they  occur,  of  choice  and  elegant  expressions,  which  may  be  employ- 
ed instead  of  the  common  and  colloquial.  Thus,  for  heaping  up,  we 
may  use  accumulating  :  for  shunned,  avoided  ;  for  to  brag,  to 
BOAST  ;  for  their  betters,  their  superiors  ;  for  I  got  rid  of,  I  avoided. 
A  polite  writer,  instead  of  saying  he  is  flushed  on,  will  say  impelled  ; 
instead  of ^o/on/?«r A',  or  ^0  OH,  proceed;  instead  of  you  take  me, 
you  UNDERSTAND  ;  instead  of  I  had  as  lief,  I  should  like  as  well  ; 
instead  of  a  moot  point,  a  disputed  point ;  instead  of  pro  4'  con,  on 
BOTH  sides  ;  instead  of  by  the  bye,  by  the  way,  (though  I  do  not 
much  like  either;)  instead  of  shut  our  ears,  close  our  ears;  instead 
of  fell  to  work,  began.  Some  words  it  will  be  better  to  omit;  as,  in- 
stead of  saying,  "  he  has  a  considerable  deal  of  merit,"  say,  "  he  has 
considerable  merit." 

When  an  idiom  can  be  avoided,  and  a  phrase  strictly  grammatical 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  251 

introduced,  the  latter  will  always  be  most  graceful ;  for  instance,  it  is 
more  elegant  to  say,  "  I  would  rather,"  than  "  I  had  rather."  This 
idiom  probably  took  its  rise  from  the  abbreviation  I'd,  which  in  con- 
versation stands  equally  for  I  woidd,  or  I  had. 

When  a  substitute  cannot  be  found  for  a  mean  word,  it  is  better 
to  reform  the  sentence  altogether,  and  to  express  it  by  a  periphrasis  ; 
one  such  "  fly  will  mar  the  ointment"  of  the  most  harmonious  periods. 
3.  Nothing,  however,  can  be  more  opposite  to  purity  or  elegance  of 
style,  than  the  unmeaningjar^o/j,  which  low  and  illiterate  preachers  in- 
troduce, sometimes  in  order  to  assume  an  air  of  erudition.*  Such  phra- 
ses as  creaturely  comforts;  man-God;  everlasting  ubiquity ;  celestial 
panoply ;  Triune  God;  &,c.  &.C.  are  barbarisms  not  to  be  endured. 
Indeed,  were  I  to  detail  the  instances  of  this  depraved  phraseology, 
I  should  scarcely  be  less  disgusting  than  those  who  employ  it.  Similar 
to  these  are  the  endearing  diminutives,  the  compound  epithets,  such 
as  life-giving,  soul-saving,  &lc.  and  the  fulsome  repetition  of  the  most 
sacred  names,  introduced  by  some  preachers.  Unaffected  is  an  epi- 
thet, appropriated  in  a  manner  to  real  devotion,  which  is  displayed  in 
actions,  and  in  sentiments,  and  not  in  words  ;  indeed  I  do  not  know, 
whether  the  two  frequent  and  familiar  introduction  of  the  most  solemn 
expressions,  even  in  the  pulpit,  may  not  serve  to  lessen,  rather  than 
to  increase  our  respect  for  the  great  object  of  Christian  worship. 

Purity  of  style,  as  far  as  respects  arrangement,  is  equally  violated 
by  affected  stateliness,  and  by  negligence  and  incorrectness.  Of  the 
former  kind  are  the  following  instances. 

1.  Placing  the  nominative  case  after  the  verb.  Ex.  "Wonderful 
are  the  effects  of  this  passion  in  every  view."  "Not  a  little  elegant 
is  this  manner  of  writing." 

2.  The  objective  case  in  the  beginning  of  the  sentence.  "  Vari- 
eties of  national  character  we  observe  imprinted  on  the  physiognomy 
of  nations."  And  not  unlike  this  is  Mr.  Gordon's  very  depraved  con- 
struction in  his  translation  of  Tacitus;  "At  this  time  war  there  was 
none." 

3.  The  objective  case  before  the  imperative  mood.  "  How  many 
nations  have  certainly  fallen  from  that  importance,  which  they  had 
formerly  borne  among  the  societies  of  mankind,  let  the  annals  of  the 
world  declare." 

*  There  is  a  sort  of  divines,  who,  if  they  do  but  happen  of  an  unlucky  hard 
•word  all  the  week,  think  themselves  not  careful  of  their  flock,  if  they  lay  it 
not  up  till  Sunday,  and  bestow  it  among  them  in  their  next  sermon. 

Eachard's   Conlempl  of  (he  Clergy,  p.  46. 


252 


ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 


I  know  nothing  that  more  enfeebles  a  style,  than  beginning  sen- 
tences with  connective  particles,  such  as  and,  though,  hut,  however, 
therefore,  &c.  It  setfms  to  put  the  reader  out  of  breath,  and  partakes 
in  some  measure  of  the  ungracefulness  and  confusion  of  long  senten- 
ces. It  also  destroys  that  compactness,  which  gives  energy  to  style. 
These  circumstances  have  made  it  common  to  introduce  the  connec- 
tive as  the  second  or  third  word  of  the  sentence  :  and  the  same  rea- 
sons are  almost  equally  forcible  against  the  use  of  relatives  in  the  be- 
ginning of  sentences. 

It  has  also  been  generally  esteemed  ungraceful  to  conclude  a  sen- 
tence with  a  preposition  or  a  trifling  word.  The  auxiliary  verbs  are 
generally  very  bad  conclusions.  Ex.  "  If  this  affects  him,  what  must 
the  first  motion  of  his  zeal  be  1" 

Lastly.  There  is  often  inelegance  in  placing  the  adverb  before 
the  auxiliary  verb,  as  in  the  following  instance  :  ''  the  question  stated 
in  the  preceding  chapter  never  has  been  fully  considered."  It  would, 
I  think,  be  better,  "  has  never  been  fully,  &.c." 

It  would  be  impossible  on  this  occasion  to  descend  to  a  very  mi- 
nute detail.  A  good  ear,  and  the  perusal  of  good  authors  must  unite 
to  form  a  good  taste  in  this  particular.  Pedantry,  however,  more  fre- 
quently misleads  us  than  any  other  cause.  The  style  of  female  wri- 
ters flows  easier,  and  is  commonly  more  harmonious,  than  that  of  pro- 
fessed scholars.  One  general  rule  may  indeed  be  admitted  :  in  nar- 
rative or  plain  didactic  compositions,  in  those  which  are  intended  mere- 
ly to  convey  information,  the  natural  order  of  the  words  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred ;  but,  when  passion  or  sublimity  is  the  object,  this  order  may 
be  departed  from,  and  a  sentence  must  never  conclude  with  a  weak 
member  or  a  trifling  word.  As  perspicuity  demands  that  enough 
shall  be  displayed  in  the  first  part  of  the  sentence  to  make  the  aim  of 
it  manifest ;  so  elegance  and  vivacity  demand  a  degree  of  energy  at 
the  termination  of  it,  in  order  to  leave  an  impression  on  the  mind. 
Sometimes,  however,  in  very  animated  expression,  it  has  a  good  effect 
to  place  the  en)phatic  word  the  first  in  order,  as  :  "Blessed  is  he  that 
Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  "  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,  but 
such  as  I  have  give  I  thee."  In  this  last  sentence,  the  eager  expec- 
tation, and  the  imploring  look  of  the  beggar  naturally  lead  to  a  vivid 
conception  of  what  was  in  his  thoughts  ;  and  this  conception  is  an- 
swered by  the  form,  in  which  the  declaration  of  the  apostle  is  couch- 
ed. 

III.   As  a  sermon  is  an   oratorical    composition,  as  it  is  intended 
for  a  popular  assembly,  and  ought  to  interest  the  attention  at  least 


I 
i 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  25S 

of  the  auditors,  perspicuity  and  purity  of  style  are  scarcely  sufficient 
commendations.  It  should  be  calculated  not  only  to  instruct,  but  to 
persuade ;  not  only  to  inform  the  judgement ;  but  to  conciliate  the 
passions.  Some  degree  of  Khetorical  e7nbcUishment.  therefore,  be- 
comes absolutely  necessary  ;  and  it  is  one  of  Jfae  most  difficult  points 
to  determine  the  nature,  as  well  as  the  degree  of  this  embellishment. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  ornaments  of  oratory  are  materially  different 
from  those  of  poetry.  The  aim  of  (he  former  is  to  inform  and  per- 
suade ;  of  the  latter  to  amuse.  The  one  addresses  the  judgement  and 
the  passions  ;  the  other,  the  fancy.  The  one  requires  the  utmost  per- 
spicuity ;  in  the  other,  some  degree  of  obscurity  is  frequently  a  beau- 
ty ;  a  different  choice  and  selection  of  the  imagery  and  figures,  which 
are  employed,  becomes  therefore  requisite  in  these  different  forms  of 
com[)osition. 

The  elegance  of  poetry  frequently  depends  upon  the  happy  appli- 
cation of  imagery  assumed  from  natural  objects;  the  imagery  proper 
for  oratory  is  the  imagery  of  sentiment.  In  the  one,  the  woods,  the 
plains,  the  fountains,  and  the  hills,  the  expanded  ocean,  the  serenity 
of  the  heavens,  are  the  most  striking  objects;  in  the  other,  the  hu- 
man passions  and  pursuits,  the  fate  of  empires,  the  revolutions  of  for- 
tune, and  the  uncertainty  and  variation  in  human  affairs. 

The  comparison,  which  is  frequently  one  of  the  most  engaging 
figures  in  poetry,  and  affords  the  fullest  scope  for  luxuriant  descrip- 
tion, is  in  general  too  cold  and  formal  for  oratory.  The  beauty  of 
metaphors  will  frequently  be  lost  in  an  attention  to  the  subject,  or  in 
the  warmth  of  the  enunciation  ;  and  allusions  and  metonymies  will 
rather  obscure  than  enlighten  the  subject.  Personification  is  still  more 
allied  to  obscurity  ;  and  allegorij  is  least  adapted  of  all  to  this  species 
of  composition.  Instead  of  this  play  of  the  imagination,  the  orator - 
must  employ  a  force  and  energy  of  expression,  a  warmth  of  sentiment, 
and  the  stronger  figures  of  iteration,  erotesis,   and   climax*     In  the 

*  The  following^  is  a  fine  instance  of  what  I  call  the  ite.ralion,  or  repetition. 
"  I  have  slain,  1  have  shiin,  not  a  Sp.  Maelius,  Avho  was  suspected  of  aiming 
at  the  regal  power  ;  not  a  Tiberius  Gracchus,  who  seditiously  deposed  his  col- 
league from  the  magistracy  ;  but  I  have  slain  the  man,  whose  adulteries  our 
noblest  matrons  discovered  in  the  sacred  recesses  of  the  gods  ;  the  man,  by 
whose  punishment  the  senate  so  frequently  determined  to  expiate  the  viola- 
tion of  the  most  solemn  rites  ;  the  man,  who  by  the  hands  of  his  slaves  expel- 
led a  citizen,  who  was  esteemed  by  the  senate,  by  the  people,  by  every  nation 
on  earth,  the  preserver  of  the  city  ;  the  man,  who  gave  and  took  away  king- 
doois,  and  distributed  the  world  at  his  pleasure  ;  the  man,  who  defiled  the  fo- 
rum ^'ith  blood;  the  man,  who  fired  the  temple  of  the  nymphs;  in  a 
word,  the  man,  who  governed  himself  by  no  principle,  who  acknowledged  no 
law,  who  submitted  to  no  limitation.'"  Cic.  pro  Milone.     The  writings  of  St. 


254 


ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 


use  of  these,  however,  he  must  be  extremely  cautious  :  for  they  are 
dangerous  in  the  hands  of  the  unskilful,  and  require  the  nicest  taste 
in  the  application  of  ihem. 

After  all,  it  is  a  question,  whether  the  modern  compositions  of  the 
pulpit  are  not  rather  jj^e  blamed  for  too  much  than  for  too  little  affec- 
tation of  ornament.*  In  this  case,  perhaps,  negative  instruction  may 
be  the  most  useful  ;  and  to  show  what  a  style  ought  not  to  be,  may 
answer  a  better  purpose,  than  an  imperfect  endeavour  to  describe  all 
the  excellencies  and  graces,  which  a  lively  imagination  and  a  fine 
taste  may  invent. 

In  the  first  place,  the  popular  harangues  of  the  day  have  more  of 
poetryt  than  of  oratory  in  them,  if  false  metaphor,  inconsistent  allego- 
ry, and  in  all  respects  "  proso  run  mad,"  can  have  any  claim  to  that 
appellation.  Not  satisfied  with  adopting  whimsical  allusions,  they  pur- 
sue them  to  an  extreiue  of  absurdity. 

"  And  ductile  dulness  new  meanders  makes, 

"  "Vnd  one  poor  word  a  thousand  senses  takes.":}: 

It  can  be  no  gratification  to  a  rational  mind  to  give  pain,  otherwise  I 
could  furnish  specimens  of  this   kind   abundantly   ridiculous.||     Fig- 


Pai.il  aboii'id  in  these  bold  fig-ures,  particularly  the  erotesis,  of  which  there  are 
some  uncoin  nonly  animated  exaaiples  ; — '•'  VVhat !  have  ye  not  houses  to  eat 
and  to  drink  in  ?  or  despise  ye  the  church  of  God,  and  shame  them  that  have 
'  not?  V\  hat  shall  I  say  to  you  ?  Shall  1  praise  you  in  this  ?  I  praise  you  not." 
1  Cor.  xi.  2<J.  The  following^  is  an  example  of  the  three  fig'ures  uniti  d  ;  "  Are 
they  Hebrews?  so  am  I.  Are  tht-y  Israelites  ?  so  am  I.  Are  they  t'le  seed  of 
Abraham  ?  so  am  I.  Are  they  ministers  of  Christ.'  (I  speak  as  a  fool,)  I  am 
more,"  &:c.  2  Cor.  xi.  22,  23. 

*  "  The  ornaments  of  language  generally  cost  the  writer  much  trauhle,  and 
produce  small  advantage  to  the  hearer.  Let  the  character  oj' yours  rmons  be 
truth  and  information,  and  a  decent  particularity,''''  Paley's  Ordin.  Sermon, 

t  "  Another  thing,  that  brings  great  disrespect  and  mischief  upon  the  cler- 
gy, is  their  packing  their  sermons  so  full  of  similitudes  ;  which  all  the  world 
know,  carry  with  them  but  very  small  force  of  argument,  unless  there  be  an 
exact  agreement  with  that  which  is  compared  ;  of  which  there  is  very  seldom 
any  sufficient  care  taken."  Eachard's  Contempt,  &;c.  p.  58. 

I  "  This  is  almost  the  perpetual  vice  of  mean  and  low  preachers ;  for,  when 
they  catch  a  figurative  word,  or  a  metaphor,  as  when   Gou's  word  is  called  a 

Jire,  or  a  sword,  or  the  church  a  house,  &c.  they  never  fail  to  make  a  long  de- 
tail of  conformities  between  the  figures  and  the  subjects  themselves,  and  fre- 
quently say  ridiculous  things."  Kobi.vson's  Claude,  c.  ii. 

II  It  would  be  no  very  difficult  matter  to  parallel  the  following  specimens, 
which  Dr.  Eachard  has  quoted  from  the  popular  orators  of  his  day. 

"  'Tis  reported  of  a  tree  growing  upon  the  bank  of  the  Euphrates,  that  it 
brings  forth  an  apple,  to  the  eye  very  fair  and  tempting,  but  inwardly  it  is  fil- 
led with  nothing  but  useless  and  deceitful  dust.  —  Dust  we  are,  and  to  dust  we 
must  all  go."  Contempt  of  the  Clergy,  p.  62. 

"  I  cannot  omit  that  of  the  famous  divine,  who,  advising  the  people  in  days 
of  danger  to  run  unto  the  Lord,  tells  them,  that  they  cannot  go  to  ttie  Lord, 


< 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  255 

ures,  which  have  no  ingenuity  to  recommend  them,  but   are  trite  and 
common,  ought  carefully  to  be  avoided. 

Secondly.  One  of  the  most  glaring  vices  of  bad  orators  is  the  ex- 
clamation :  "  Oh  1*  my  beloved  Christians  !"  "  Ah  !  my  dear  hear- 
ers!" "  How  delightful!  how  enlivening !  how>  wonderful  !  how  stu- 
pendous !"  Such  unmeaning  phrases  as  these  fill  up  all  the  blanks  of 
their  discourses,  and  stand  in  tlie  place  of  sense  and  sentiment  ;  to 
the  critical  eye,  however,  they  never  fail  to  discover  "  the  nakedness 
of  the  land,"  and  to  exhibit  the  preacher  labouring  at  a  strain  of  pa- 
thos, which  he  is  not  able  to  effect.  There  is  no  figure,  which  is  so 
nearly  allied  to  the  frigid  as  this.  It  was  therefore  never  admitted  by 
the  Greeks,  and  very  rarely  by  the  Roman  orators.  It  never  appears 
in  the  discourses  of  Barrow,  of  Sherlock,  and  of  Atterbury.  Wheth- 
er our  popular  preachers  have  improved  upon  these  models  or  not, 
the  reader  will  be  at  no  loss  to  determine. 

Thirdly.  It  is  a  poor  expedient,  and  frequently  borders  on  the 
ridiculous,  to  introduce  the  interlocutors  in  a  sermon,  and  make 
speeches  for  the  different  characters.  This  artifice  is  generally  adopt- 
ed in  order  to  display  the  theatrical  gesture,  and  versatile  talents  of 
the  preacher.  It  is  impossible  to  see  a  good  religious  face-maker  (as 
they  are  termed  by  the  sagacious  Dr.  Eachard)  perform  one  of  these 
pulpit  farces,  without  thinking  of  the  strolling  player  in  Scarron,  who 
acted  a  whole  play  himself,  only  varying  his  position,  attitude  and 
voice,  according  as  he  represented  the  King,  the  Queen,  or  the  Am- 
bassador. These  minor  orations  are  commonly  very  dull  paraphrases 
of  some  animated  passage  of  Holy  Writ,  and  are  sometimes  no  less 
inconsistent  with  decorum,  than  with  the  rules  of  chaste  composi- 
tion. 


much  less  run  without  feet ;  there  are  therefore  two  feet  to  run  to  the  Lord, 
failh,  and  prayer.  'Tis  plain  that  faith  is  a  foot ;  for,  by  fnith  ue  stand.  2  Cor. 
i.  24.  The  second  is  pryaer,  a  spiritual  le^  to  bear  us  thither  ;  now,  that 
prayer  is  a  spiritual  legf,  appears  from  several  places  of  Scripture,  as  from  Jo- 
KAH,  c.  ii.  V.  7.  and  -my  prayer  came  vnio  thy  holy  ttrtijAe.,  &lc.  lb.  p.  70. 

Upon  the  text,  Matt.  iv.  25.  and  there  JoUcwed  him  great  multitudes  of 
people  from  Gai.ilke.  "  I  discover,'"  (says  the  preacher,)  when  Jesus  pre- 
vails with  us,  we  shall  soon  leave  our  Galii-ees.  I  discover  also  (says  he)  a 
great  miracle,  viz.  that  the  way  after  Jesus  being  strait^  that  such  a  multi- 
tude should  follow  him."  Jb.  p.  84. 

*  There  is  not  a  word  in  the  whole  compass  of  the  English  language  to 
which  the  popular  preacher  is  under  so  mary  obligations  as  this  small  inter- 
jection. It  intrudes  itself  upon  all  occasions,  and  if  uttered  with  a  proper  vo- 
ciferation, and  a  smart  thump  upon  the  breast,  seldom  fails  to  be  followed 
by  a  reasonable  number  of  groans  and  sighs  from  a  certain  part  of  the  congre- 
gation. To  every  person,  however,  of  taste  and  reflection,  it  only  indicates  a 
UHsh  to  be  pathetic  without  the  poiver  of  being  so.  1  his  is  not  the  oratory  of 
Mr.  Fox,  Mr.  Burke,  or  Mr.  Sheridan. 


256  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

A  fourth  device  of  these  flimsy  orators,  when  in  a  strait  for  matter 
or  sentiment,  (which  is  often  the  case,)  is  to  force  in  a  huge  scripture 
quotation  ;  no  matter  bow  foreign  to  the  general  subject  of  the  dis- 
course ;  it  has  an  air  of  piety,  and  therefore  generally  imposes  on  the 
well-meaning,  but  undiscerning,  part  of  the  audience. 

Young  orators  are  generally  fojid  of  the  sublime  to  a  degree  of 
enthusiasm,  and  are  too  apt  to  affect  it  when  least  qualified.  They 
are  therefore  very  liable  to  deviate  into  bombast.  The  marking  char- 
acters of  the  bombastic,  or  false  sublime,  are  :  1st.  Words  without  a 
distinct  appropriate  meaning,  wliich  the  author  himself  probably 
could  not  define,  if  he  were  called  upon  to  do  it.  2dly.  Descriptions, 
which  cannot  be  reduced  to  canvass,  which  exhibit  no  distinct  and 
uniform  picture.  3dly.  Similes  and  figures  disproportioned  to  the 
subject.  4thly.  An  abundance  of  redundant,  and  unmeaning  epi- 
thets. 

An  error  apparently  opposite  to  this,  but  frequently  united  with 
it,  is  the  feeble  style.  The  characters  of  this  are  :  1st.  Loose  and  dis- 
jointed sentences,  without  point  or  conclusion.  2dly.  Common  place 
imagery  and  expressions,  odly.  Colloquial  expressions  :  as,  "  Well, 
but  says  some  objector,"  &c. 

One  of  the  most  common  and  the  most  dangerous  errors,  howev- 
er, is  the  mock  pathos.  Many  (I  doubt  not  well-intentioned)  persons 
conceive  that  they  are  to  go  to  church  for  nothing  but  to  weep  ;  and 
the  pitiful  methods  employed  by  some  preachers  to  excite  their  tears 
cannot  fail  to  have  a  direct  contrary  effect  with  every  rational  per- 
son.* I  am  sensible  that  much  will,  in  this  case,  depend  upon  the 
acting  of  a  sermon,  (as  Dr.  Warburton  calls  it.)  I  could  mention  a 
popular  preacher,  who  regularly  weeps  at  a  certain  period  of  his  dis- 
course, whether  the  subject  be  pathetic  or  not.  The  device  general- 
ly succeeds  with  that  part  of  the  audience  (and  that  is  a  pretty  con- 
siderable portion)  who  pay  no  attention  to  the  matter,  and  regard 
only  the  gesticulation  of  the  preacher.  This  religious  buffoonery, 
however,  must  necessarily  disgust  every  judicious  hearer  ;  and  the 
censure  of  one  person  of  sense  is,  in  my  opinion,  but  weakly  counter- 
balanced  by  the  overflowing  scale  of  vulgar  popularity. 

V.  OF  MANNER,  OR  DELIVERY. 

In  treating  o^  manner,  I  shall  endeavour  to  contract  this  disserta- 
tion within  still  narrower  limits  than  I   have   done   on   the  preceding 


i 


*  "  A  lady  asked  a  certain  great  person  comings  out  of  church,  whether  it 
were  not  a  very  moving  disconise? — Fe.5,  said  he,  /  was  e.vlremcii/  sorry.,  for 
tht  vian  is  my  friend.''''  Swiffs  Letter  to  a  i'ow^g  Clergyman. 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  257 

topics  :  and  for  this  plain  reason,  that  I  conceive  it  to  be  the  least 
necessary. 

More  attention  has  lately  been  lavished  upon  this  art,  than  upon 
the  more  substantial  objects  of  criticism  ;  and,  after  all,  the  careful 
observation  of  good  speakers  will  do  more  than  all  the  abstract  study 
in  the  world. 

Speakin:^  is  a  practical  art,  and  we  might  as  well  pretend  to  teach 
a  young  persan  to  dance,  as  to  speak,  by  books  only. 

The  principal  points  to  be  observed  on  this  subject,  are  modula- 
tion, emphasis,  and  action. 

First,  with  respect  to  modulation.  It  is  evident,  that  the  voice 
naturally  assumes  a  different  tone  on  different  occasions.  In  com- 
mon conversation,  and  in  narrative,  the  voice  flows  in  an  even  tenor, 
often  approaching  to  monotony.  In  teaching  or  explaining,  it  is 
sl;)wer,  more  distinct,  something  more  energetic,  and  rather  less  in- 
clining to  monotony.  In  extremes  of  passion,  it  is  unequal,  tremu- 
lous, and  frequently  interrupted.  The  great  excellence  of  art  is  to 
reduce  those  observations,  with  which  we  are  furnished  by  fiature,  to 
a  regular  system  ;  and  to  produce  on  all  occasions,  what  nature  will 
do  in  its  most  perfect  state. 

The  modulation  suitable  to  the  pulpit  will  be  sufficiently  apparent 
from  these  considerations.  That  violence  of  passion,  which  it  is  the 
excellence  of  a  player  to  imitate,  cannot  possibly  have  any  place 
there.  The  preacher's  business  is  to  argue,  to  convince,  to  persuade, 
not  to  storm  or  rage  at  his  congregation.  The  raving  and  furious 
manner  of  some  preachers  may  indeed,  by  mere  dint  of  lungs,  keep 
a  congregation  from  dozing,  but  can  neither  inform  nor  conciliate  any 
person  of  true  taste  or  real  piety. 

From  the  nature  of  his  office,  from  the  nature  of  his  composition, 
the  preacher  should  always,  in  his  enunciation,  study  "  to  beget  a  tem- 
perance that  may  give  it  a  smoothness."  Nothing  can  compensate 
for  the  loss  of  dignity  ;  and  the  strong,  energetic,  yet  temperate  and 
even  manner,  is  alone  consistent  with  true  dignity. 

Above  all  things,  the  young  preacher  ought  most  carefully  to 
avoid  an  unnatural  or  affected  tone.  At  a  period,  when,  from  the 
frequency  of  theatrical  exhibitions,  the  taste  of  the  public,  with  re- 
spect to  speaking,  is  much  improved,  such  a  defect  will  scarcely  es- 
cape the  censure  of  even  the  ignorant  and  vulgar.  In  fact.  I  nev- 
er knew  of  but  one  instance  to  the  contrary.  I  remember,  some 
years  ago,  in  a  considerable  town  in  the  North  of  England,  a  person 
offered  himself  as  a  candidate  for  a  living,  who  performed  the  service 
33 


258  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

in  a  tone  of  voice,  which  could  only  be  compared  to  very  bad  chant- 
ing ;  it  savoured  indeed  more  of  the  synagogue  than  of  the  cathedral ; 
and  the  composition  of  his  sermon  was  as  unintelligible  as  his  manner 
was  extraordinary.  The  judicious  electors,  because  the  exhibition 
was  uncommon,  concluded  that  it  must  be  something  remarkably  fine. 
They  afterwards  accidentally  discovered  their  mistake,  but  not  till  it 
was  too  late  to  rectify  it. 

Secondly.  It  is  obvious,  that  every  person,  in  discoursing  earnest- 
ly upon  any  subject,  usually  marks,  by  a  certain  force  or  inflexion  of 
voice,  the  significant  and  energetic  words  and  expressions;  and,  both 
the  number  of  those  expressions,  and  the  force  with  which  they  are 
enunciated,  increase  in  proportion  to  the  passion  or  vehemence  of 
the  speaker. 

Emphasis  is  either  absolute  or  relative.  Absolute  emphasis  de- 
pends upon  the  subject,  and  consists  in  laying  a  stress  upon  such 
words,  as  we  would  wish  to  be  particularly  marked,  and  remember- 
ed ;  such  as  are  directly  connected  with  the  sense  of  the  whole  ;  and 
on  which  it  seems,  in  some  degree,  to  depend. 

Relative  emphasis  has  a  respect  to  something  immediately  going 
before  or  coming  after,  on  which  the  sense  of  the  sentence  depends. 
The  whole  point  and  force  of  the  following  sentence  vvould  be  lost  by 
a  wrong  emphasis  :  "  Philosophy  alone  can  boast,  (and  perhaps  it  is 
only  the  boast  of  philosophy,)  that  her  gentle  hand  is  able  to  eradicate 
from  the  human  mind  the  latent  and  deadly  principle  of  fanaticism." 
"Another  servant,  being  his  kinsman,  whose  ear  Peter  cut  off:" 
Here,  unless  a  proper  emphasis  be  laid,  there  will  be  some  room  for 
supposing,  that  the  servant  was  the  kinsman  of  Peter,  and  that  he 
was  actually  the  person,  whose  ear  had  been  cut  off.  In  the  follow- 
ing lines,  much  obscurity  may  be  produced  by  an  improper  empha- 
sis : 

"•  \{  clouds  or  earthquakes  break  not  heaven's  design, 
"  Why  then  a  Borgia  or  a  Calaline  /"' 

Unless  the  reader  remembers,  that  the  word  should  is  understood, 
and  reads  the  verses  accordingly,  the  auditors  might  suppose  the  lat- 
ter line  to  relate  merely  to  the  existence  of  a  Borgia,  &c.* 

Sometimes  half  a  sentence  is  emphatic   with  respect  to   the  rest. 


*  If  the  great  convulsions  of  nati-re,  says  Mr.  Pope,  in  this  couplet,  do  not 
interrupt  the  order  of  al:nig;hty  providence,  why  should  it  be  interrupted  by  the 
convulsion?  of  the  moral  world  ?  why  should  a  Borg;ia  or  a  Cataliue  not  make 
a  part  of  the  plan  and  order  of  divine  g^overnment,  as  much  as  those  natural 
piienomena,  the  causes  of  which  are  now  well  understood,  and  which  are 
known  to  be  perfectly  consistent  with  the  general  laws  of  nature  ? 


DELIVERY  OP  A  SERMON.        ,  259 

Ex.  "  The  odia  in  longumjncens,  I  thought  had  belonged  only  to 
the  worst  character  of  antiquity.'"  Unless  each  of  these  latter 
words  be  pronounced  with  equal  force,  the  sense  of  the  author  will  be 
destroyed,  as  will  be  evident  by  placing  the  emphasis  on  either  worst 
or  antiquity,  and  comparing  it  with  the  context. 

The  great  use  of  emphasis  is  to  render  a  discourse  plain  and  in- 
telligible to  the  auditors  ;  and,  consequently,  that  emphasis  is  most 
judicious,  which  is  most  discriminative.  For  this  reason,  I  disagree 
with  both  Mr.  Garrick  and  Dr.  Johnson  in  their  mode  of  accenting 
the  latter  commandments  of  the  Decalogue.  "  Thou  shall  not  steal," 
for  instance.  Here  Mr.  Garrick  placed  the  emphasis  upon  the  auxil- 
iary verb,  shalt,  which  was  evidently  wrong,  as  Dr.  Johnson  objected 
that  the  commandment  was  negative  ;  and  he  accordingly  placed  the 
emphasis  upon  not.  It  is  plain,  however,  that  this  emphasis  neither 
serves  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  commandment,  nor  to  point  the  at- 
tention to  its  principal  object.  The  congregation  are  sufficiently 
aware,  that  the  Decalogue  consists  of  authoritative  precepts,  and 
therefore  there  cannot  be  the  least  necessity  for  dwelling  upon  the 
verb  shalt ;  most  of  the  commandments  are  of  a  negative  kind,  and 
of  course  there  can  be  no  occasion  to  make  not  the  principal  word  in 
the  sentence  ;  and  that,  too,  with  a  manifest  risk  that  the  principal 
object  of  the  commandment  should  not  be  heard,  or  at  least  not  atten- 
ded to.  Besides  this,  we  are  so  accustomed  to  what  I  call  relative 
emj)hasis,  that  by  accenting  either  of  those  words,  the  ear  is  natural- 
ly led  to  expect  something  correspondent  to  them :  thus,  by  saying 
"  Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  the  auditor  is  induced  to  expect  the  antithet- 
ical but,  with  some  correspondent  appendage.  The  truth  is,  both 
"these  words  should  be  pronounced  with  a  full  tone  of  voice  ;  but  the 
real  force  of  the  emphasis  ought  to  rest  upon  the  word  steal,  or  what- 
ever word  particularly  distinguishes  the  commandment  from  the  rest. 

Thirdly.  On  the  subject  of  action,  I  find  much  to  reprehend  in 
most  preachers,  and  I  might  add,  in  most  prayers  also.  The  most  ge- 
neral vice  is  unmeaning  action.  Mr.  Garrick  used  less  action  than 
any  performer  I  ever  saw  ;  but  his  action  had  always  some  meaning, 
it  always  spoke  ;  and,  by  making  use  of  less  than  other  actors,  it  per- 
haps had  the  greater  force. 

In  this  case,  some  respect  must  be  had  to  the  character  of  the  na- 
tion, which  is  gravity  ;  some  respect  must  be  had  to  that  which  the 
speaker  assumes  ;  and  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  is  certainly  the  gra- 
vest of  characters.  Much  action  is  expressive  of  levity,  and  therefore 
altogether  inconsistent  with  both  these  circumstances.     Besides,  ac- 


260  ON  THE  COMPOSITION  AND 

tion  is  in  general  expressive  of  great  passion,  and  therefore  cannot  be 
required,  or  even  expected  in  a  public  speaker,  whose  business  is  on- 
ly to  teach  or  to  explain. 

Some  kinds  of  action  are  in  themselves  ungraceful.  I  have  sees 
one  preacher,  whose  hands  were  constantly  employed,  as  if  he  were 
engaged  in  the  occupation  of  a  grave-digger  ;  and  another  who  seem- 
ed perpetually  hammering  nails  into  the  pulpit.  I  know  no  attitude 
so  completely  disgusting  as  what  I  call  the  spread-eagle  attitude,  with 
both  wings  elevated  as  if  in  the  action  of  flying  ;  and  I  have  heard  of 
a  certain  preacher,  who  was  ludicrously  compared  to  a  tea-pot,  from 
the  affected  position  in  which  he  commonly  addressed  the  multitude. 

The  meanest  species  of  buffoonery  is  that  of  acting  your  words ; 
and  yet  I  have  known  this  practice  confer  some  degree  of  popularity. 
To  understand  perfectly  the  absurdity  of  it,  it  is  only  necessary  to  ob- 
serve it  in  excess.  What  should  we  think  of  the  person,  for  instance, 
who,  in  reading  the  following  lines,  should  think  proper  to  represent 
the  actions  which  they  describe  1 

"  Did  some  more  sober  critic  come  abroad, 

"  If  wrong;,  I  smiled  ;  if  ri^ht,  I  kiss'^d  the  rod." 

Or  if,  in  reading  the  introductory  sentence  of  the  Common  Prayer, 
"  Rend  your  hearts,  and  not  your  garments,^'  a  clergyman  were  to 
mimic  these  actions,  should  we  not  think  he  meant  to  ridicule  either 
the  liturgy  or  the  congregation  ?  Depend  upon  it,  it  is  not  less  es- 
sentially absurd,  and  only  differs  in  degree,  when  the  preacher,  every 
time  the  heart  is  mentioned,  claps  his  hand  to  his  breast;  or,  if  he 
reads  "  the  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,"  thinks  it  is  necessary 
to  raise  his  arm,  as  if  pointing  to  a  sign-post. 

Every  thing  like  affectation  ought  to  be  cautiously  avoided.*  If 
a  preacher  can  unite  good  sense  and  piety  with  a  style  tolerably 
smooth  and  harmonious  ;  if  his  voice  be  not  harsh  or  disgusting  ;  and 
if  his  delivery  be  easy  and  unembarrassed,  he  will  find  no  need  of 
flourishes  to  render  himself  agreeable.  Few  can  excel  in  the  higher 
requisites  of  oratory  ;  few  can  be  fine  speakers  ;  but  all  may  be  cor- 
rect and  agreeable  speakers,  if  they  will  be  not  too  ambitious  of  being 
fine  speakers.  If  an  orator  once  lose  sight  of  nature,  no  exertion  of 
art  can  compensate  for  the  deviation. 

It  has  been  frequently  debated,  whether  a  sermon  may  be  deliver- 
ed to   most  advantage,  perfectly  extempore,  from  memory,  or   from 

*  "  Off  come  the  gloves  :  and,  the  hands  being  well  chafed,  he  shrinks  up 
his  shoulders,  and  stretches  forth  himself  as  if  he  were  goino;  to  cleave  a  bul- 
lock''s  head,  or  rive  the  body  of  an  oak."     Eachard's  Contempt  of  the  Clergy. 


DELIVERY  OF  A  SERMON.  261 

written  notes.  I  have  tried  all  these  methods;  and,  from  repeated 
experience,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  give  the  preference  to  the  last.  In 
speaking  extempore,  the  mind  is  too  intent  upon  the  matter  and  the 
language,  to  attend  to  the  manner  ;  and,  though  the  emphasis  will  in 
general  be  right,  this  is  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  defects  in 
modulation,  and  by  the  want  of  that  harmonious  and  full  conclusion 
of  the  periods,  which  may  be  effected,  when  we  are  previously  ac- 
quainted with  the  extent  of  the  sentence.  In  delivering  a  composi- 
tion by  rote,  the  memory  is  so  much  upon  the  stretch,  that  a  degree 
of  embarrassment  necessarily  ensues.  The  success  of  the  actors,  I 
am  aware,  will  form  a  strong  objection  to  this  observation  ;  but,  let  it 
be  remembered,  the  speeches,  which  they  have  to  commit  to  memo- 
ry, are  so  short,  that  they  will  not  bear  any  comparison  with  the  deli- 
very of  a  long  and  complex  piece  of  composition  ;  not  to  mention  the 
aids,  which  they  receive  from  what  is  called  the  cue,  or  the  responses 
of  the  other  characters,  and  from  the  constant  attention  of  the  promp- 
ter. 

It  was  my  intention  to  have  concluded  with  a  critical  examination 
of  the  most  approved  specimens  extant  in  this  species  of  composition  ; 
but  I  find  I  have  already  exceeded  my  limits,  and,  I  fear,  have  ex- 
hausted the  patience  of  the  reader.  Indeed  I  have  been  compelled, 
for  the  sake  of  brevity,  to  omit  several  remarks,  which  might  have 
been  useful  to  some,  and  acceptable  to  many  persons ;  and  have  con- 
fined myself  to  what  I  esteemed  absolutely  necessary. 


A  LETTER 

ON 

THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  M.  REYBAZ, 


Being  about  to  take  upon  yourself  the  office  of  a  Preacher  of  the 
Gospel,  you  solicit  my  advice,  which  I  consider  as  a  })roof,  that  you 
feel  the  difficulties  attendant  upon  what  you  are  going  to  perform. 
How  many  young  Preachers  do  we  see,  who  have  received  no  previ- 
ous instructions — and  who  have  not,  it  may  be  presumed,  considered 
instruction  necessary  ;  presenting  themselves  with  confidence  before 
a  public  assembly  !  The  modesty,  which  characterises  you,  is  an  omen 
of  your  success,  and  you  deserve  a  more  able  guide,  than  my  knowl- 
edge and  abilities  allow  me  to  be. 

As  you  have  resolved  to  adopt  the  ecclesiastical  vocation,  you 
have,  doubtless,  made  a  previous  investigation  of  your  resources,  and 
compared  your  several  faculties,  not  with  those  of  persons,  whose 
lives  have  been  devoted  to  their  profession,  but  with  those  which  the 
discharge  of  the  duty  requires.  You  have  also,  I  trust,  compared  the 
importance  of  the  work,  with  the  powers  of  your  mind;  remember- 
ing, that  you  should  not  undertake  any  engagement  without  havino" 
first  ascertained  your  capability  to  fulfil  it. 

Few  vocations  require  such  an  union  of  talents,  as  that  of  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel.  It  calls  forth  every  endowment  of  the  mind,  all 
the  faculties  of  the  soul,  and  the  most  attractive  gracefulness  of  the 
body.  Of  these  several  powers,  some  are  more  essential  than  others  ; 
some  are  so  indispensably  necessary,  that  a  young  man  is  unpardona- 
ble, if  he  engage  in  this  work  of  the  Lord,  without  them. 

If  our  studies  have  been  well  directed  ;  if  we  have  profited  by  ap- 
plication ;  and  if  we  are  ambitious  to  distinguish  ourselves  in  our 
profession  ;  it  is  quite  sufficient  t.»  have  been  born  with  common  abil- 
ities, to  possess  the  qualities  of  mind  requisite  for  a  preacher.  Acer- 
tain  flow  of  ideas,  and  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  holy  scriptures,  is 
the  effect  of  mature  study.  One  view  of  a  subject  will  discover  what 
it  principally  contains,  to  form  the  basis  of  a  discourse  ;  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  logic  will  teach  you  to  make  a   happy  decision,   and  just  ar- 


264  ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 

rangement.  There  is  not  a  man,  devoted,  in  any  degree,  to  his  call- 
ing, who  cannot,  with  care  and  labour,  compose  a  sermon,  which,  if 
not  eloquent,  will,  at  least,  be  useful  and  edifying. 

A  knowledge  of  the  human  heart  is  just  as  necessary  to  a  preach- 
er, as  that  of  the  holy  scriptures.  The  human  heart  is  a  difficult 
book,  and  if  we  do  not  read,  carefully,  every  page,  we  ought,  at  least, 
to  study  the  principal  chapters :  it  will  prevent  us  from  erring,  by  de- 
scribing an  imasfinnry,  in  the  place  of  a  real  being,  and  will  supply 
us  with  that  information,  whicli  will  enable  us  to  know,  what  is  of  all 
things  the  most  difficult,  ourselves. 

For  want  of  society,  which  is,  in  this  respect,  the  best  school  for  a 
preacher,  but  which  we  cannot  always  frequent,  he  should  study  tiie 
most  celebrated  moralists  :  let  him,  above  all,  read  that  celebrated  or- 
ator, Massillon,  from  whom  nothing  that  concerned  the  human  heart 
was  concealed.  I  am  not  ashamed  to  recommend  to  his  perusal, 
works  of  imagination,  which  are  distinguished  by  purity  of  morals,  and 
detail  of  character,  designed  at  once,  to  interest  the  affections,  and 
improve  the  understanding. 

There  is  not  a  subject  within  the  sphere  of  an  orator,  which  does 
not  demand  a  certam  diversity  of  thoughts,  the  solution  of  which  re- 
quires care  and  exercises  judgement,  together  with  an  order  and 
method,  in  the  arrangement  of  them.  There  is,  moreover,  a  certain 
quality,  valuable  in  itself,  and  indispensable  to  an  orator,  which  ani- 
mates and  inspires  all  his  discourses,  and  which  displays  its  intuitive 
power  more  fully  in  some  persons  than  others  ;  this  quality  is  inhe- 
rent in  the  soul ;  it  cannot  be  acquired  by  diligence :  I  describe  it  in 
one  word — sensibility. 

If  an  orator  has  not  sensibility,  he  cannot  attain  the  highest  end 
of  his  labours,  which  is  to  affect  the  heart,  while  he  informs  the  un- 
derstanding. There  is  no  emotion  produced  by  eloquence,  which 
does  not  spring  from  seusibility.  It  was  that  which  inspired  Fenelon, 
Bossuet,  Flechier,  Massillon,  Sauriu,  the  Abbe  Poul,  in  some  of  their 
finest  passages.  He,  who  is  so  phlegmatic,  as  always  to  leave  his 
hearers  unaffected,  is  in  want  of  an  oratorical  requisite,  for  which  no 
learning  can  atone,  and  which  no  diligence  will  supply. 

What  then  siiall  we  say  of  those  preachers,  who,  far  from  trans- 
formino-  into  sentiment,  the  abstract  principles  of  morality,  even  speak 
in  the  language  of  metaphysics  ?  Would  an  orator,  endowed  with 
sensibility,  pursue  so  inefficacious  a  mean  of  edification  ?  Be  a  phi- 
losopher; but  in  discourses  from  the  pulpit,  assume  neither  the  tone, 
nor  the  language,  of  philosophy. 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 


265 


Sensibility,  it  is  to  be  observed,  has  its  degrees,  and  may  increase 
by  exercise.  Thus,  I  would  not  prevent  a  man  from  becoming  a 
preacher,  because  he  discovers  no  more  than  a  spark  of  it,  or  because 
his  attempt  to  introduce  it  into  his  discourses  is  feeble,  and  in  conse- 
quence unsuccessful.  It  is  sufficient  to  be  not  absolutely  devoid  of 
sensibility,  provided  we  can,  by  the  force  of  application,  excite  in  our- 
selves a  certain  degree  of  energy.  For  that  purpose,  shun  those  ex- 
hibitions, which  harden  the  heart ;  frequent  no  spectacles,  which  do 
not  give  soft  impressions  ;  let  your  time  be  employed  in  that  course 
of  reading,  which  inspires  virtue,  whose  natural  delineations  affect  the 
breast  with  gentle  emotions,  without  rending  it.  When  this  power 
has  taken  possession  of  the  heart,  it  will  show  itself  m  your  public 
discourses.  You  have  then  only  to  yield  to  its  impressions  ;  and 
when  you  come  to  deliver  your  subject  from  the  pulpit,  your  enunci- 
ation, while  it  evinces  your  meaning,  will  communicate  your  portion 
of  sensibility  to  your  auditory. 

In  order  that  your  sermons  may  produce  the  effect  intended  by 
them,  you  must  endeavour  to  rehearse  them  from  memory.  Have  you 
then  a  memory  adapted  to  that  purpose  ?  Can  you,  without  occupy- 
ing too  much  time,  and  giving  too  great  diligence,  learn  your  sermon, 
so  as  to  deliver  it  with  ease,  and  repeat  it  without  embarrassment  1 
Memory  is,  like  sensibility,  strengthened  by  exercise.  I  know  it. 
You  cannot  have  finished  your  academical  studies,  without  having  fre- 
quently exerted  your  memory,  and  tried  its  power.  You  can,  there- 
fore, form,  in  this  respect,  a  tolerably  competent  judgement  of  your- 
self. > 

If  your  memory  be  treacherous,  and  you  cannot  depend  upon  it ; 
how  will  you  be  distinguished  in  a  profession,  of  which  it  is  a  principal 
requisite  ?  If  you  attempt  to  repeat  your  sermon,  and  do  not  perfect- 
ly recollect  it,  you  occasion  great  distress  to  your  audience  :  and  how 
can  you  give  that  freedom  to  your  utterance,  and  that  action  to  your 
elocution,  which  are  indispensable  towards  producing  a  high  effect  ? 
If  you  hesitate,  you  deprive  your  delivery  of  the  advantages  it  has 
over  reading.  In  that  case,  rather  read,  than  attempt  to  repeat ;  or, 
I  would  say,  rather  give  up  the  pulpit  forever,  where  there  is  a  bar- 
rier to  your  success,  and  which,  if  you  have  any  attachment  to  your 
profession,  or  respect  for  yourself,  will  produce  in  you  only  uneasiness 
and  mortification.* 


*  To  address  the   congregation,   is  the  mode  of  speaking  both  the  most 
plrasiuo.  and  useful  to  the  auditcy,  and  at  the  same  time,  tht  most  natural  and 
satisfaclory  to  the   orator ;  by  which,  1  mean,  the  directing  his  voice  both  to 
34 


266  ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 

But  in  vain  do  you  possess  an  unruffled  memory,  if  your  audience 
lose  any  parts  of  your  discourse,  through  the  weakness  of  the  organ 
which  is  to  transmit  it  to  them.  A  clear,  loud  voice,  which  can, 
without  straining  or  effort,  be  distinctly  heard  by  a  numerous  assem- 
bly, is  a  happy  and  an  invaluable  quality  in  an  orator.  A  powerful 
voice  commands  the  attention,  and  prevents  the  distraction  of  mind, 
which  is,  alas  !  too  prevalent  in  the  best  disposed  congregations.  It 
is  not  only  requisite,  that  every  individual  should,  without  being  ea- 
gerly intent,  and  throughout  every  part  of  the  church,  hear  the  preach- 
er ;  but  it  is  also  requisite,  that  it  should  be  impossible  not  to  hear 
him  ;  and  that  the  sound  should  be  clear  and  full,  even  when  he  is 
giving  the  utmost  melody  to  his  periods. 

It  is  not  always  that  a  voice  is  of  sufficient  extent,  and  it  is  not 
always  that  a  public  speaker  is  an  orator.  It  has  happened  to  me, 
more  than  once,  to  have  been  present  at  a  sermon,  and  not  to  have 
heard  it :  many  others  were  in  the  same  predicament.  What  signifi- 
ed it,  therefore,  whether  the  sermon  was  good  or  bad  ?  The  preach- 
er may,  under  shelter  of  one  defect,  conceal  many. 

Monotony  is  one  of  the  natural  and  unhappy  attendants  upon  a 
feeble  enunciation.  The  orator,  possessing  only  a  small  compass  of 
voice,  cannot  vary  his  cadence.  It  is  still  worse  if  he  make  any  ef- 
forts to  be  heard  :  he  tlien  does  nnt  speak  ;  be  only  squeaks ;  his 
voice  becomes  unnatural ;  he  has  only  one  tone,  and  it  offends  the 
ear. 

Exercise  it  is  said,  strengthens  the  voice,  gives  it  power  and  ex- 
tent ;  this  is  true,  when  the  weakiless  is  in  the  organ  only  ;  when  the 
voice  wants  merely  to  be  exerted,  and  to  have  a  more  ample  range. 
But  if  this  defect,  as  it  often  happens,  arises  from  the  lungs,  it  cannot 
be  overcome,  except  at  the  risque  of  one's  health,  or,  it  may  be  of  life. 

The  chief  means  of  remedying  the  weakness  of  the  organs,  is  to 
articulate  very  distinctly.  Clearness  of  pronunciation  will  contribute 
to  make  you  heard  more  than  the  greatest  exertion  of  voice  ;  the  syl- 
lables should  in  succession  strike  the  ear,  and  this  should  be  the  ob- 
ject of  unceasing  attention.  You  will  form  a  very  erroneous  judge- 
ment, if  you  take  the  tone  of  familiar  conversation  as  a  rule  for  a  pub- 
lic discourse.  In  the  one  case,  you  speak,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the 
expression,  to  the  ear  of  your  hearer,   and   nothing  escapes  him  ;  ii^ 

the  rig:ht  and  left.  To  be  able  to  do  this  oratorically,  he  must  know  his  sermon 
thoroughly,  a'ld  by  s;'aocin°:  his  eye  upon  it,  as  he  turns  his  head  from  one  side 
to  the  other— for  there  should  be  scaice  any  motion  of  his  person — he  will  have 
the  appearance  of  repeatiag,  while  he  possesses  the  advantage  of  frequent  re- 
course to  his  manuscript. 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING.  267 

the  other,  the  word  has  to  find  his  ear — to  reach  him  at  the  extremi- 
ties of  a  large  building  ;  feeble  sounds  never  arrive  there  ;  and  if  even 
the  pronunciation  is  not  unusually  distinct,  nothing  is  heard  in  the  re- 
mote parts  of  the  church,  but  sounds  which  are  altogether  inarticu- 
late. 

Clearness  of  pronunciation  is  to  the  ear,  what  clearness  of  percep- 
tion is  to  the  mind  ;  we  must  express  ourselves  without  embarrass- 
ment, to  be  heard  ;  and  we  may  apply  to  the  delivery  of  a  discourse, 
what  duintilian  said  of  the  discourse  itself;  prima  virtus  orationis 
perspicuitas. 

I  suppose  then,  you  possess  those  elemental  qualities  I  have  brief- 
ly mentioned,  and  which  constitute  the  very  first  principles  of  elocu- 
tion ;  you  are  now  about  to  commence  your  vocation. 

Do  you  know,  my  friend,  how  to  read  ?  This  question  may  as- 
tonish you  ;  but  you  may  have  read  a  great  deal,  without  knowing 
how  to  read.  There  are  some  preachers,  who,  arrived  at  old  age, 
have  read  all  their  life,  and  who  are  themselves  the  evidences,  that 
good  reading  is  very  rare. 

To  read  is  not  to  collect  letters  and  syllables  ;  it  is  not  to  pro- 
nounce words  and  sentences  :  it  is  to  express  the  sense  of  these  sen- 
tences ;  it  is  to  represent  the  thoughts  of  a  discourse,  in  their  appro- 
priate colours.  It  is  to  blend  the  different  passages  in  such  a  manner 
as  not  to  injure  each  other ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  give  to  each  mu- 
tual strength  and  assistance.  It  is  to  distinguish,  by  the  accent,  what 
is  only  argumentative,  from  what  is  pathetic  and  oratorical;  it  is  to 
discern  any  important  end  in  a  sentence,  in  order  to  detach  it  from 
the  rest,  and  express  it  without  affectation,  and  without  the  appear- 
ance of  design;  it  is  to  convey  the  idea,  rather  than  the  expressions, 
the  sentiments  rather  than  the  words  ;  it  is  to  follow  the  impulse  of 
the  discourse,  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  delivery  may  be  quick  or 
slow,  mild  or  impetuous,  according  to  the  emotions  it  should  excite. 

To  read  is  to  express  by  variations  of  voice,  the  comforts  arising 
from  the  consciousness  of  innocence,  and  the  horrors,  from  the  insti- 
gations of  vice  ;  the  warmth  of  zeal,  and  coolness  of  indifference ; 
indignation,  fear,  pity,  and  benevolence ;  the  blessings  and  chastise- 
ments of  God  ;  the  pride  and  misery  of  man  ;  the  supplications  to  the 
Supreme  Being,  and  the  pathetic  exhortations  to  sinful  men.  Tn 
short,  to  read,  is  to  distinguish  our  several  thoughts  and  sentiments, 
by  inflections  of  voice,  which  should,  at  once,  describe  their  meaning, 
and  impress  their  power. 

When  you  have  got  the  better,  if  it  be  possible,  of  all   provincial 


268 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 


accent,  and  your  pronunciation  is  pure  and  correct ;  when  you  have 
accustomed  yourself  to  read  aloud,  with  feeling,  and  varying  your 
tones,  in  such  a  way,  that  what  you  read,  may  be  well  understood  ; 
then,  progressively,  raise  your  voice,  three  or  four  notes  higher  than 
the  common  tone  ;  and  do  not  appear  in  the  pulpit,  until  you  have 
many  times  repeated  this  useful  experiment. 

Timidity,  wiien  its  influence  is  greatly  predominant,  disconcerts; 
it  prevents  the  exertion  of  talent.  On  tlie  other  hand,  presumptuous 
confidence  prejudices  an  auditory  against  the  speaker,  who  should, 
by  all  means,  prepossess  their  good  will.  Keep  then  a  wise  mean. 
Appear,  at  least,  to  entertain  a  very  modest  opinion  of  yourself,  which 
has  always  the  effect  of  disarming  criticism,  and  conciliating  the  es- 
teem of  a  congregation.  I  have  seen  preachers,  who,  to  practise  a 
little  deceit  on  themselves,  and  thereby  shun  the  distractions  which 
their  timidity  might  occasion,  fix  their  eyes  on  a  pillar  of  the  church,* 
and  address  their  discourse  exclusively  to  it.  This  mode  of  speaking 
is  not  judicious.  The  preacher  loses  by  it  all  the  warmth  of  his  zeal, 
and  destroys  the  effect  of  the  expression  of  countenance.  It  is  the 
assembly  he  ought  to  look  in  the  face.  To  them  he  proposes  his 
questions  ;  to  them  he  addresses  the  reasoning  of  his  propositions,  the 
gentleness  of  his  reproofs,  and  the  earnestness  of  his  exhortations. 
It  is  the  assembly  which  animates  the  orator,  which  inspires  him  with 
suitable  tones,  and  with  a  pleasing  cadence.  How,  without  looking 
continually  around  him,  can  he  perceive,  whether  the  attention  of  his 
congregation  is  supported,  or  relaxed  ?  And  how  can  he  again  at- 
tract it,  when  it  has  been  suffered  to  escape,  but  by  redoubled  zeal, 
and  a  more  impassioned  address  ? 

Scarcely  has  the  preacher  opci.cd  his  mouth  than  a  religious  fas- 
cination inspires  the  audience.  He  is  no  longer  an  ordinary  person. 
He  is  a  heavenly  ambassador,  invested  with  divine  authority ;  his 
language,  his  accents,  assume  a  more  grave  and  solemn  character 
than  those  of  a  mere  man.  Happy,  if  nothing  throughout  the  dis- 
course happen  to  dissipate  the  illusion,  and  divert  the  attention  of  the 
auditory  ! 

You  comprehend  that  it  is  not  necessary,  in  the  exordium  of  your 
discourse,  to  give   yourself  up  to  declamation.     If  you  except  these 

*  When  a  '  leijjj'man  preaches  in  a  Church,  with  which  he  is  not  at  all 
acquainted,  to  direct  his  voice,  at  the  be^iunin;^  of  his  sermon,  to  a  distant  ob- 
ject, is  nol  injudicious.  Dr.  Hincliffe,  the  late  bishop  of  Peterboroug-h,  always 
did  so.  and  he  was,  during  his  life,  considered  one  of  the  best  preachers  in  the 
church  of  Eu»land. 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING.  269 

cases  when  the  preacher  seems  overcome  with  a  thought  which  pre- 
possesses him  ;  when  he  communicates  to  his  auditory  a  powerful 
impulse,  the  effect  of  his  preceding  meditations  ;  except,  I  say,  these 
cases,  which  are  rare,  you  should  enter  on  your  discourse  with  com- 
posure, elegance,  and  simplicity. 

We  see  preachers  who  seem  to  be  exhausted  with  their  exordium. 
They  elevate  their  voice  to  the  highest  pitch  at  tlie  very  commence- 
ment. Did  that  exordium  constitute  the  whole  of  the  sermon,  they 
would  not  be  reprehensible  ;  but  it  is  only  an  introduction  ;  and  when 
they  come  to  the  main  point  of  the  subject,  they  are  not  able  to  stip- 
port  the  power  with  which  they  set  out ;  and  their  discourse  appears 
like  a  monster  with  a  large  head  and  a  meagre  body. 

Let  the  mildness  of  your  exordium  prescribe  to  you  the  proper- 
tone  in  which  it  requires  to  be  delivered.  Your  guarded  gesture 
should  correspond  with  it,  and  all  action  should  be  restrained.  An 
exordium,  indeed,  is  not  always  necessary  ;  sometimes  a  preacher  en- 
ters on  the  subject  without  a  previous  introduction. 

I  do  not  hesitate  to  prefer,  in  a  sermon,  divisions  formally  an- 
nounced, to  those  which  are  only  intimated  by  transitions,  in  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  discourse.  This  last  method  is  doubtless  the 
most  oratorical,  but,  certainly,  not  the  best  adapted  to  assist  the  mem- 
ory of  those  who  pay  little  attention. 

In  printed  discourses,  I  prefer  divisions  rather  implied  than  ex- 
pressed, where  the  reader  can  review  the  plan,  which  the  author  has 
traced.  Whereas,  in  a  discourse,  which  is  to  be  delivered,  clear  di- 
visions are  necessary,  for  the  sake  of  remembering  what  has  been 
spoken.  It  is  the  handle  of  a  vase,  in  the  taking  hold  of  which,  eve- 
ry thing  it  contains,  goes  with  it ;  but  if  it  has  no  handle,  and  is  out 
of  our  reach,  its  contents  are  lost  to  us. 

After  having  fixed  the  attention  of  your  audience  on  the  plan  you 
propose  to  follow,  you  then  fully  open  your  discourse,  and  pass,  by 
means  of  transition,  from  one  point  to  another. 

It  is  by  incorporating  argument  and  eloquence,  doctrine  and  ex- 
hortation, precept  and  address,  that  you  are  enabled  to  vary  your  de- 
livery ;  if,  at  least,  your  mode  of  speaking  corresponds  to  your  plan 
of  composition. 

Most  of  the  French  Catholic  preachers  are  full  of  fire  ;  but  as  they 
begin  they  conclude  ;  the  whole  discourse   is  a  constant  peroration.* 

*  Notwithstanding  this  censure  passed  upon  the  Catholic  preachers,  sure  I 
am,  that  their  Sermons,  if  judiciously  abridged,  and  adapted  to  an  Eno-lish 
Protestant  congregation,  would  produce  the  highest  eflects.  The  preacher 
who  would  thus  prepare  them,  would,  I  doubt  not,  have  an  auditory,  both  in- 
creasing in  numbers,  and  improving  in  morals. 


27e 


UN  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 


Let  me  not  be  mistaken ;  a  tone  always  exalted  ;  a  severe  system  of 
morality  ;  singularity  of  sentiment,  and  extravagance  of  hyperbole, 
are  only  the  characters  of  vehemence,  and  by  no  means  denote  the 
excellence  of  the  preacher.  I  vi^ould  rather  undo,  than  overdo,  the 
thing :  what  does  not  attain  the  proposed  end,  is  but  feeble  ;  what 
exceeds  it,  is  ridiculous. 

There  are  some  cases  in  the  delivery,  where  the  manner  of  speak- 
ing depends  entirely  on  the  preceding  parts.  After,  for  instance, 
some  very  vehement  passages,  the  more  tranquil  should  gradually 
abate  of  their  force  ;  the  waves  of  an  agitated  sea  do  not  calm  imme- 
diately, although  the  wind  ceases. 

Would  you  be  indeed  distinguished  ;  be  simply  elegant,  and  uni- 
formly proper  ;  be  calm,  in  general,  in  order  to  be  vehement,  when 
the  juncture  shall  arrive.  Reserve  your  oratorical  powers  for  the 
conclusion  of  your  discourse,  when  you  apply  more  particularly  to 
your  audience,  the  general  truths,  which  you  have  been  propounding. 

In  avoiding  monotony,  that  is,  a  tone  uniformly  the  same,  be  care- 
ful not  to  fall  into  what  is  called  a  whine  or  cant,  which  is  still  more 
insupportable  than  monotony  itself.  This  whine  or  cant  consists 
in  the  use  of  two  or  three  tones,  which  return  in  the  same  order,  and 
terminate  by  the  same  fall  ;  the  preacher  acquires  these  bad  habits 
when  the  weakness  of  his  voice  forbids  the  variety  of  necessary  tones, 
or  when  habit  takes  the  place  of  sense,  and  of  earnestness.  This 
fault  is  intolerable  to  an  audience,  and  not  unfrequently,  renders 
preaching  useless. 

I  much  wish  that  young  preachers  would  not  neglect  any  means 
of  forming  their  voice,  and  improving  their  ear.  Some  knowledge 
of  vocal  music*  would  be  very  useful  to  them  ;  the  practice  of  it  would 
acquaint  them  with  many  secrets. 

What  I  remark  on  the  voice,  may,  in  many  respects,  be  said  of  ■ 
action.  It  ought  to  be  just,  expressive,  simple,  and  at  the  same  time 
varied.  But  what  gives  expression  to  action  1  What  are  its  defects 
and  qualities  ?  Are  there  any  rules  to  follow  concerning  it  1  We 
have  no  fixed  model  to  consult,  as  we  have  on  written  eloquence. 
We  must  collect  transient  observations,  and  determine  between  dis- 
puted principles. 

Action  is  indispensably  necessary  in  the  art  of  oratory  ;  it   is   dic- 

*  1  once  heard  the  following  remark  made  by  a  clergyman,  who  is  an  orna- 
ment to  his  profession  ;  and  it  is  consonant  to  general  observation  : — "  The  re- 
commendation of  vocal  music  seems  equivocal,  and  is  not  founded  on  experi- 
ence, since  I  have  known  the  finest  singers  and  players  unable  to  read  well, 
and  on  the  contrary,  excellent  readers  make  very  bad  singers." 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING.  271 

tated  by  feelings  emotion,  and  zeal,  and  is  not  always  regulated  with- 
out difficulty.  Observe  the  drawings  of  great  painters,  in  their  rep- 
resentation of  the  action,  which  they  give  to  persons.  Junius,  in  his 
treatise  on  the  painting  of  the  ancients,  says,  that  the  hands  assist 
the  words,  that  they  can  demand,  promise,  call,  detest,  interrogate, 
refuse,  and  declare  the  different  affections  of  the  soul.  Action  is 
the  means  by  which  the  dumb  make  themselves  understood  :  by  it 
they  express  all  their  sentiments,  and  convey  all  their  thoughts. 

Gesture  is  very  common  and  familiar  to  persons  who  are  quick 
and  lively  ;  it  is  less  so  with  sedate  and  quiet  people.  The  Italians 
use  much  gesticulation  when  they  speak  ;  it  is  not  the  case  with  the 
inhabitants  of  the  more  northern  countries.  In  France,  where  exte- 
rior appearance  is  so  much  studied,  good  taste  suppresses  all  gesture  ; 
the  women,  especially,  who  pass  for  the  most  accomplished,  absolute- 
ly renounce  it,  finding,  no  doubt,  that  it  is  much  easier  to  abstain 
from,  than  to  regulate  it.  Their  conversation  would,  in  consequence, 
appear  uninteresting,  did  they  not  supply  the  place  of  action,  by  a 
cadence  in  their  speech,  and  an  ease  in  their  deportment. 

An  orator  without  action,  would  deprive  himself  of  one  great 
means  of  persuasion  and  effect;  his  eloquence  would  be  unaffectiug, 
and  would  be  destitute  both  of  its  charms  and  power. 

Gesture  should  not  approach  to  pantomime.  Too  much  repeated, 
and  too  vehement,  it  fatigues  the  eyes,  and  loses  its  excellence. 

If  any  profound  sentiment  affect  you  ;  if  you  speak  of  any  thing 
which  inspires  you  with  reverence,  as  God,  his  providence,  and  ador- 
able perfections,  gesture  is  then  altogether  unreasonable;  more  espe- 
cially, if  you  introduce  the  divinity  as  speaking  unto  man,  let  a  per- 
fect composure  have  place  throughout  your  whole  frame  ;  as  gesture 
and  action  could  give  neither  power  to  your  language,  nor  dignity  to 
your  sentiments. 

If  you  have  any  principle  to  establish,  any  feeling  to  describe,  call 
in  action  to  your  assistance  ;  but  let  it  be  grave  and  chaste,  and  not 
intemperate  and  ludicrous.  The  violent  motion  of  the  hands,  is  not 
less  offensive,  than  the  babbling  of  the  tongue;  their  is  a  dignity  pe- 
culiar to  the  pulpit,  which  is  violated  by  unseemly  action. 

Action  should  be  free  and  unrestrained.  It  should  proceed  from 
the  shoulders  ;  that  which  arises  from  the  elbow,  and,  more  especial- 
ly, from  the  hands,  is  not  sufficiently  dignified.  When  your  period  is 
finished,  let  your  action  cease  :  and  do  not  use  a  variety  of  gestures 
to  express  one  idea. 

The  two  arms,  only,  can  contribute  to  action.     Be  careful,  when 


272  ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING. 

you  use  them  together,  that  their  motions  correspond.  Their  want 
of  concord  would  be  as  offensive  to  the  eye,  as  harshness  of  sound  is 
grating  to  the  ear. 

In  general,  when  one  hand  only  is  used,  the  right  should  be  pre- 
ferred. Not  that  it  has  any  advantage  over  the  left ;  but  whether  it 
is  that  a  public  speaker  is  more  accustomed  to  use  it,  or  that  the  eye 
is  more  habituated  to  the  use  of  it,  the  action  of  the  left  hand  seldom 
appears  graceful. 

Some  writers  on  oratory  have  endeavoured  to  prescribe  bounds  to 
the  height  the  action  of  the  hand  should  be  carried ;  do  not,  it  has 
been  said  by  some,  let  it  pass  the  head  ;  by  others,  let  your  passions 
direct  you  ;  and  if  they  impel  you  to  raise  your  hands  above  your 
head,  they  will  produce  no  bad  effect.  It  is,  then,  nature  which  dic- 
tates it.  Nature,  alone,  should  limit  you  in  your  animating  exclama- 
tions ;  and  in  ardent  invocation,  and  in  a  transport  of  admiration,  na- 
ture, alone,  should  be  your  guide. 

But  let  your  action  be  always  just ;  there  are  some  men,  in  whom 
it  is,  unfortunately,  always  false.  Having  neither  judgement  nor  ear, 
their  action  is  never  what  it  should  be. 

Should  this,  unhappily,  be  your  case,  discard  action  altogether. 
It  is  much  better  to  deprive  yourself  of  its  advantages,  were  it  even 
unexceptionable,  than  to  make  it  either  embarrass  your  periods,  or 
give  them  a  contrary  meaning.  Just  action,  and  a  correct  judgement, 
usually  go  together.  Nature  seldom  allows  the  perfection  of  one, 
with  the  absence  of  the  other. 

The  action  wliich  would  attempt  to  express  words,  of  which  a  sen- 
tence is  composed,  would  evidently  fail  in  its  effect.  It  would  be  as 
offensive  as  trifling  :  it  is  the  general  meaning,  and  predominant  idea, 
which  should  be  conveyed.  But  how  is  this  to  be  accom|)lished  1  It 
cannot  be  taught.  Judgement,  taste,  and  above  all,  good  models  will 
illustrate  it. 

To  vary  the  gesture  is  a  talent,  and  this  talent  leads  to  correct- 
ness ;  for,  if  the  turn  of  a  discourse  varies  considerably,  the  action,  in 
order  to  express  it,  ought  to  vary  likewise.  When  a  preacher  has 
only  one  gesture,  it  will,  necessarily,  be  incorrect  or  insignificant; 
notwithstanding  which,  a  dull  uniformity  of  action  is  the  common  de- 
fect of  preachers.  The  whole  eloquence  of  the  person,  at  least,  with 
many  preachers,  consists  in  spreading  their  hands,  for  the  purpose  of 
uniting  them  with  a  loud  noise,*  and   in  continually  repeating  this 

*  This  censure  equally  applies  to  the  Methodists,  Calvinists,  Independents, 
&c. 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING.  273 

periodical  motion.  Thus  they  make  the  auditor  the  victim  of  their 
unskilfulness;  they  torment  his  eyes,  and  wound  his  ears,  without 
mercy,  by  means  injudiciously  designed  to  attach  and  please  them. 

The  arms  and  hands  are  not  the  only  instruments  of  action  ;  the 
whole  person  ought  to  concur  in  it.  The  positions  of  the  body  should 
vary,  sometimes  by  turning  to  the  right,*  and  sometimes  to  the  left. 
I  have  often  regretted,  that  our  pulpitst  were  not,  as  in  many  places 
in  Italy,  formed  like  a  tribune,  where  the  preacher  could  move  at  lib- 
erty. 

Expressions  of  countenance,  the  fire  and  energy  of  the  looks,  add 
greatly  to  the  manner  of  delivery  ;  the  turn  of  the  eyes  is  a  species  of 
action,  which  gives  life  to  eloquence. 

These  various  talents  are  only  means  to  add  efficacy  to  the  action 
of  the  preacher.  To  action,  all  the  observations  I  have  made,  exclu- 
sively relate.  It  is  the  vehicle  of  thoughts  and  feelings,  with  which  a 
minister  can  more  sensibly  affect  his  audience.  To  say,  that  a  preach- 
er has  just  and  appropriate  action,  is  to  say,  he  possesses  in  an  emi- 
nent degree,  all  the  exterior  qualities  of  an  orator,  in  alliance  with 
the  liveliness,  which  gives  to  these  qualities  their  power,  and  deter- 
mines their  effects. 

Demosthenes  being  asked,  in  what  eloquence  consisted,  centered 
the  whole  in  action  ;  and  repeated  the  same  word  three  times,  as  if 
he  had  said,  it  included  every  thing,  and  that  eloquence  could  not  ex- 
ist, independent  of  it.  I  contrast  action  with  the  coolness  of  those 
orators,  little  deserving  of  the  name,  with  those  ministers  of  habit,  who 
do  not,  themselves,  feel  the  truths  of  which  they  are  commissioned  to 
make  others  sensible  ;  or,  who  are  absolutely  indifferent  to  the  relig- 
ion which  they  preach,  and  the  effect  it  is  intended  to  produce. 

I  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce,  however  influenced  we  may  be  by 
custom,  that  the  efTect  of  eloquence  is  astonishing.  Compose  an  in- 
different discourse,  and  repeat  it  perfectly,  you  will  satisfy  your  audi- 
ence much  more,  than  with  an  excellent  sermon,  delivered  with  dis- 
gusting monotony,  or  lifeless  utterance. 

How  many  times  have  we  been  delighted  with  the  delivery  of  a 
composition,  the  perusal  of  which   we  could  not  endure  ?     And,  on 


*  In  small  churches  no  inconvenience  may  arise  from  following- these  direc- 
tions ;  but  in  a  large  building',  where  the  pulpit  is  central,  while  the  person  of 
the  preacher  is  turned  towards  one  half  of  the  congregation,  the  other  is  gen- 
erally prevented  from  hearing. 

t  Many  of  the  English  pulpits  are,  it  is  true,  sufficiently  .-jwkward  ;  but 
such  as  M  Reyhaz  proposes,  would  only  tend  to  make  the  speaker  theatrical, 
and  would  totally  destroy  Ihe  solemnity  of  the  preaching, 

35 


274  ON  THE  ART  OP  PREACHING. 

the  contrary,  how  often  has  a  work,  which  pleased  us  in  the  reading 
appeared  otherwise  when  spoken  ?  What  inference  shall  we  draw  from 
this  ?  That  elocution  is  an  important  art ;  and  that  a  preacher  can- 
not apply  himself  to  it  too  attentively  :  not  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
effect  to  a  bad  discourse,  but  to  exhibit  with  all  its  advantages,  a  ser- 
mon, convincing  by  its  argument,  and  efficacious  by  its  persuasion. 

You  will  find,  in  the  history  of  eloquence,  that  the  orator  owes  his 
success,  principally,  to  declamation.  The  harangues  of  Pericles 
produced,  in  his  mf-uth,  the  highest  effect.  He  published  them  ;  but 
Q.uintilian  esteemed  them  unworthy  of  the  reputation  they  had  ac- 
quired. The  minister  Du  Bosc  was  deputed  by  the  Protestant  clergy 
to  address  to  Louis  XIV.  their  remonstrances.  1  have  just  heard,  i 
said  that  prince,  the  finest  preacher  in  my  kingdom.  The  extreme 
feebleness  of  the  sermons  published  by  Du  Bosc,  strongly  prepossess 
us  in  favour  of  his  exterior  eloquence. 

There  are  three*  sorts  of  declamation  ;  that  of  the  pulpit,  of  the 
theatre,  and  of  the  bar.  But  as  each  has  a  species  of  eloquence  pe- 
culiar to  itself,  so  it  hath  of  declamation  likewise.  Whatever  it  <.is 
that  a  person  repeats,  he  should  always  consider  who  it  is  that 
speaks  ;  who  are  the  people  addressed  ;  what  ought  to  be  the  subject 
matter  of  the  discourse  ;  and  under  what  circumstances  the  auditory 
is  convened.     These  considerations  regulate  the  art  of  speaking. 

The  preacher  commonly  speaks  to  instruct  the  assembly  ;  he  is 
transported  with  the  emotions  he  endeavours  to  excite.  If  he  feel 
sensibly,  if  he  be  sometimes  moved  to  tears,  he  has  always  in  view 
the  welfare  of  his  audience  ;  the  declamation  of  the  preacher  will  be 
influenced  by  that  single  motive  ;  the  whole  tenor  of  his  action  will 
be  to  persuade  the  affections,  and  to  impress  the  heart. 

One  successful  method  of  an  orator's  conciliating  the  esteem  of 
his  audience  is,  by  the  observance  of  oratorical  decorum.  It  is  not 
becoming  in  a  young  preacher  to  censure  old  age  with  severity  ;  it  is 
not  becoming  in  him  to  be  austere  in  his  system  of  morality,  to  de- 
claim against  permitted  pleasures,  and  not  to  allow  any  thing  to  hu- 
man weakness.  It  is  not  becoming  in  him  whose  situation  in  life  is 
obscure,  to  inveigh  loudly  against  riches;  not  to  censure,  indiscrim- 
inately, the  application  of  thern,  as  he  will  only  subject  himself  to  the 
suspicion  of  envy.  He  must  take  care,  at  the  Festivals  of  the  church, 
and  on  days  set  apart,  by  authority,  for  solemn  worship,  not  to  preach 
on  moral  subjects,  which  have  been  often  discussed,  since  they  will 
not  be  esteemed  judicious  and  appropriate. 

*  M    Reybaz  knew  nothing;  of  the  eloquence  of  the  British  parliament, which 
surpasses  often  the  eloquence  of  the  pulpit,  even  in  France. 


ON  THE  ART  OF  PREACHING.  275 

Be  attentive  to  what  your  age,  your  rank  in  the  church,  your  con- 
dition in  society,  the  limes,  places  and  persons  prescribe  to  you  to  say, 
and  you  will  preserve  decorum.  Religion  does  not  discard,  but  en- 
joins it ;  religion  recommends  prudence,  which  suggests  the  greatest 
caution  in  not  wounding,  unnecessarily,  the  feelings  of  others.  The 
Essay  of  the  Abbe  Mallet,  on  oratorical  decorum,  is  worthy  of  your 
serious  perusal. 

There  are  many  works  on  preaching  ;  the  era  of  Louis  XIV.  pro- 
duced many,  and  the  seventeenth  century  has  produced  more.  Much 
as  may,  confessedly,  be  gained  by  the  study  of  Treatises  on  Oratory, 
if  your  object  be  to  arrive  at  celebrity,  as  a  preacher,  still,  a  great 
genius  is  far  superior  to  their  instructions.  They  will  teach  you 
to  shun  the  defects  of  the  art ;  but  will  they  inspire  you  with  its 
beauties?  There  exists  a  natural  relation  between  the  mode  of  speak- 
ing, and  of  what  we  speak.  I  have  never  heard  an  eloquent  compo- 
sition delivered,  by  the  Author,  in  an  ungraceful  and  uninteresting 
manner. 

The  substance  of  all  the  rules  I  have  laid  down  is  this,  that  a 
preacher  ought  not  merely  to  seem,  but  actually  to  be  impressed  with 
the  truths  he  delivers.  Let  a  truly  religious  disposition  prevail  through- 
out your  discourse.  Let  not  your  preaching  be  such  as  will  be  flat- 
tering to  yourself,  but  adapted  to  the  improvement  and  edification  of 
your  audience.  The  perfection  of  eloquence,  in  a  Christian  orator, 
consists  in  forgetting  himself;  the  importance  of  what  he  is  deliver- 
ing, and  the  effect  it  ought  to  produce,  should  suppress  all  conscious- 
ness of  his  own  talents. 

Above  all,  let  your  morals  be  correspondent  to  your  doctrine. 
Let  your  appearance  excite  the  ideas  of  wisdom,  integrity  and  piety. 
By  your  virtues,  attract  the  respect  and  confidence  of  mankind,  that 
every  heart  may  be  disposed  to  profit  by  your  instructions.  Justify, 
by  your  example,  the  definition,  which  Quintilian  gave  of  an  orator, 
when  he  said,  the  upright  is  the  eloquent  man. 

You  asked  me  for  instructions  in  the  art  of  preaching,  persuaded 
they  would  be  useful  to  you.  If  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  an- 
swer your  expectations,  answer  mine  in  return.  May  you  make  a  hap- 
py application  of  the  principles  I  have  laid  down.  May  your  ministry 
flourish,  and  be  productive  of  the  most  blessed  effects!  May  you,  by 
the  successful  cultivation  of  the  Lord's  vineyard,  receive  as  the  reward 
of  your  labours,  not  the  admiration  and  the  praises,  but  the  blessings, 
of  those  you  have  instructed,  consoled,  and  nourished,  with  the  words 
of  life! 


THE 


REFORMED  PASTOR. 


BY  RICHARD  BAXTER. 


THE 


REFORMED  PASTOR. 


ACTS  90:  28. 


Take  heed  therefore  to  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock,  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you 
overseers  ;  to  feed  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  purchased  with  his  own  blood. 

Reverend  and  dearly  beloved  Brethren, 

If  the  people  of  our  charge  must  '  teach,  admonish  and  exhort  one 
another,'  (Col.  iii.  16.  Heb.  iii.  13.)  no  doubt  teachers  themselves 
may  do  it,  as  Brethren  in  office,  as  well  as  in  faith,  without  pretend- 
ing to  any  supereminence  in  power  or  degree. 

We  have  the  same  sins  to  mortify,  and  the  same  graces  to  be 
quickened  and  corroborated,  as  they  have.  We  have  greater  works 
than  they  have  to  do,  greater  difficulties  to  overcome,  and,  no  less  ne- 
cessity is  laid  upon  us.  We  have  therefore  need  to  be  warned,  and 
awakened,  (if  not  instructed)  as  well  as  they.  So  that  I  confess,  I 
think  we  should  meet  together  more  frequently,  if  we  had  nothing 
else  to  do  but  this.  And  we  should  deal  as  plainly  and  closely  with 
one  another,  as  the  most  serious  among  us  do  with  our  flocks  ;  lest, 
if  they  only  have  the  sharp  admonitions  and  reproofs,  they  only  should 
be  '  sound  and  lively  in  the  faith.'  This  was  Paul's  judgement.  I 
need  no  other  proof  of  it,  than  this  rousing,  heart-melting  exhortation 
to  the  Ephesian  elders.  A  short  sermon,  but  not  soon  learned.  Had 
the  Bishops  and  teachers  of  the  church  but  thoroughly  learned  it, 
(though  to  the  neglect  of  many  a  volume  which  has  taken  up  their 
time  and  helped  them  to  greater  applause  in  the  world)  how  happy 
had  it  been  for  the  church  and  for  themselves  ! 

I  shall  now  touch  upon  no  part  of  it  but  my  text.  The  persons 
here  addressed  under  the  characters  of  overseers  or  bishops,  {E-nia- 
v.onoi,)  were  officers  appointed  to  teach  and  guide  the  Ephesian 
church  in  the  way  to  salvation  ;  and  are  the  same,  that  in  the  17th 
verse  are  called  Elders.  So  that  all  persons  who  statedly  officiate 
in  the  same  work  and  capacity,  as  the  pastors  of  a  particular  church, 
may  consider  themselves  as  included.* 

The  exhortation  here  addressed   to  such,  consisteth  of  two  parts. 

*  If  the  reader  would  see  this  point  delemled,  he  may  meet  with  satisfac- 
tion by  turning  to  the  original  work. 


280  OF  A  minister's  personal  duty. 

The  First  is, — That  they  should  take  heed  to  themselves  :  And 
the 

Second, — That  they  should  take  heed  to  the  Flock  over  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  them  overseers  ;  to  feed  the  church  of  God, 
which  he  hath  purchased  with  his  own  blood. 

Both  these  articles  will,  in  the  following  work,  be  distinctly  han- 
dled. 


PART  FIRST. 

OF  THE  DUTY  OF  CHRISTIAN  MINISTERS  WITH  REGARD  TO  THEMSELVES. 

The  first  part  of  the  apostle's  exhortation  respects  the  care  that 
ministers  ought  to  exercise  with  regard  to  their  own  disposition  and 
behaviour.  It  is  thus  expressed : — '  Take  heed  therefore  to  your- 
selves.'    Let  us  then  in  the 

First  place,  consider  what  this  personal  care  is,  and  wherein  it 
consisteth. 

For  the  sake  of  brevity,  I  will  join  the  explication  and  the  appli- 
cation together.  And  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  let  your  hearts  at- 
tend, as  well  as  your  understandings. 

I.  Above  all,  see  to  it  that  a  work  of  saving  grace  be  thoroughly 
wrought  on  your  own  souls. 

Take  heed  to  yourselves  lest  you  be  strangers  to  the  effectual 
working  of  that  gospel  which  you  preach;  and  lest,  while  you  pro- 
claim to  the  world  the  necessity  of  a  Saviour,  your  own  hearts  should 
neglect  him,  and  you  should  miss  of  an  interest  in  him  and  his  saving 
benefits.  Be  that  first,  yourselves,  which  you  persuade  your  hearers 
to  be  ;  believe  that,  which  you  daily  persuade  them  to  believe  ;  and 
heartily  entertain  that  Christ  and  Spirit,  which  you  offer  to  them. 

You  have  a  heaven  to  win  or  lose  yourselves,  and  souls  that 
must  be  happy  or  miserable  forever  ;  it  therefore  concerns  you  to  be- 
gin at  home,  and  take  heed  to  yourselves.  It  is  possible  (though  an 
unusual  thing)  that  preaching  well  may  succeed  to  the  salvation  of 
others  without  the  holiness  of  your  own  hearts  and  lives  ;  but  it  is  im- 
possible it  should  save  your  own  souls.  Though  it  be  promised  to 
"  them  that  turn  many  to  righteousness"  that  they  "  shall  shine  as 
stars,"  (Dan.  xii.  3.)  it  is  on  supposition  that  they  be  first  turned  to  it 
themselves.  Believe  it,  Sirs,  "God  is  no  respecter  of  persons."  A 
holy  calling  will  not  save  an  unholy  man.     God  never  did   save  any    ' 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  281 

man  for  being  a  preacher,  nor  because  lie  was  an  able  preacher  ;  but 
because  he  was  a  justified,  sanctified  man,  and  consequently  faithful 
in  his  master's  work.  Nor  can  it  be  reasonably  expected  that  he 
should  save  any  for  offering  salvation  to  others,  while  they  refuse  it 
themselves  :  or  for  telling  others  those  truths,  which  they  themselves 
neglect  and  abuse.  If  you  stand  at  the  door  of  the  kingdom  of  grace 
to  light  others  in,  but  will  not  go  in  yourselves,  you  shall  knock  at 
the  gates  of  glory  in  vain.  Many  a  preacher  is  now  in  hell,  who  call- 
ed upon  his  hearers  a  hundred  times  to  use  their  utmost  care  and 
diligence  to  avoid  that  "  place  of  torment."  Preachers  of  the  gospel 
must  be  judged  by  the  gospel: — must  be  sentenced  on  the  same 
terms,  and  dealt  with  as  severely  as  other  men.  "  Many  at  that  day 
shall  say.  Lord,  have  we  not  prophesied  in  thy  name?'  who  shall 
be  answered,  "  I  never  knew  you  :  depart  from  me,  ye  workers  of  in- 
iquity." (Matth.  vii.  22,  23.)  And  what  case  can  be  more  wretched 
than  that  man's,  who  made  it  his  very  trade  and  calling  to  proclaim 
salvation,  and  help  others  to  attain  it,  and  yet  after  all  is  excluded 
from  it  himself     [Let  me  add, 

The  case  of  unconverted  ministers,  is  very  deplorable  at  pres- 
ent.] 

It  is  a  dreadful  thing  to  be  an  unsauctified  professor  ;  but  much 
more  to  be  an   unsanctified  preacher. 

Do  not  you,  who  know  this  to  be  your  character,  tremble  when 
you  open  tlie  Bible,  lest  you  should  read  there  the  sentence  of  your 
own  condemnation  ?  When  you  pen  your  sermons,  you  are  drawing 
up  indictments  against  yourselves.  When  you  are  arguing  against 
sin,  you  are  aggravating  your  own.  When  you  proclaim  to  your  hear- 
ers, the  riches  of  Christ  and  his  grace,  you  publish  your  own  iniquity 
in  rejecting  them,  and  your  own  unhappiness  in  being  destitute  of 
them.  What  can  you  devise  to  say  to  your  hearers,  but  for  the  most 
part,  it  will  be  against  your  own  souls  1  If  you  mention  hell,  you 
mention  your  own  inheritance.  If  you  describe  the  joys  of  heaven, 
you  describe  your  own  misery  in  having  no  right  to  them.  O  wretch- 
ed life !  that  a  man  should  study  and  preach  against  himself,  and 
spend  his  days  in  a  course  of  self-condemning  !  A  graceless,  inex- 
perienced preacher  is  one  of  the  most  unhappy  creatures  upon  earth. 

Yet  he  is  ordinarily,  the  most  insensible  of  his  unhappiness.  He 
has  so  many  counters,  that  seem  like  the  gold  of  saving  grace,  and  so 
many  splendid  stones  that  resemble  the  Christian's  jewels,  that  he  is 
seldom  troubled  with  the  thoughts  of  his  poverty  ;  but  thinks  "  he  is 
rich  and  wants  nothing,  while  he  is  wretched  and  mi:jerable,  poor  and 
30 


282 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 


blind  and  naked."  (Rev.  iii.  17.)  He  is  acquainted  with  the  holy  scrip- 
ture ;  he  is  exercised  in  holy  duties;  he  lives  not  in  open,  disorraceful 
sins  ;  he  serves  at  God's  altar  ;  he  reproves  other  men's  faults,  and 
preaches  up  holiness  of  heart  and  life  ;  and  therefore  can  hardly  sus- 
pect himself  to  be  unholy.  How  awful  the  delusion  of  such  !  But  es- 
pecially, how  dreadful  and  aggravated  their  future  misery  ! — To  per- 
ish with  the  bread  of  life  in  their  hands,  while  they  offer  it  to  oth- 
ers ! — That  those  ordinances  of  God  should  be  the  occasion  of  their 
delusion,  which  are  the  appointed  means  of  conviction  and  salva- 
tion ! — That  while  they  hold  the  looking-glass  of  the  gospel  toothers, 
and  shew  them  the  true  face  of  their  souls,  they  should  turn  the  back 
part  of  it  towards  themselves,  where  they  can  see  nothing  ! 

Verily  it  is  the  common  danger  and  calamity  of  the  church,  to 
have  unregenerate  and  inexperienced  pastors ! 'Many  men  become 
preachers,  before  they  are  christians;  are  sanctified  by  dedication  to 
the  altar  as  God's  priests,  before  they  are  sanctified  by  hearty  dedica- 
tion to  Christ  as  his  disciples.  Thus  they  worship  an  unknown  God  ; 
preach  an  unknovvn  Saviour;  an  unknown  Spirit;  an  unknown  state 
of  holiness,  and  communion  with  God  ;  and  a  future  glory  that  is  to 
them  unknown,  and  to  be  unknown  to  them  for  ever. 

And  can  it  be  expected  that  such  persons  should  prove  any  great 
blessings  to  the  church  ? — How  can  it  be  imagined  that  he  is  likely 
to  be  as  successful  as  others,  who  dealeth  not  heartily  and  faithfully 
in  his  woik  ;  who  never  soundly  believeth  what  he  saith  nor  is  ever 
truly  serious,  when  he  seemeih  most  diligent  !  And  can  you  think 
that  any  unsanctified  man  can  be  hearty  and  serious  in  the  min- 
isterial work  ?  It  cannot  be.  A  kind  of  seriousness  indeed  he  may 
have  ;  such  as  proceeds  from  a  common  faith  or  opinion  that  the 
word  is  true,  and  is  actuated  by  a  natural  fervour,  or  by  selfish  ends : 
But  the  seriousness  and  fidelity  of  a  sound  believer,  who  ultimately 
intends  God's  honour,  and  men's  salvation,  he  cannot  have.  O  Sirs  ! 
all  your  preaching  and  persuading  of  others  will  be  but  dreaming,  and 
trifling  hypocrisy,  till  the  work  be  thoroughly  done  upon  yourselves. 
How  can  you  constantly  apply  yourselves  to  a  work,  from  which  your 
carnal  hearts  are  averse  ]  How  can  you,  with  serious  fervour,  call 
upon  poor  sinners  to  repent  and  come  to  God,  who  never  did  either 
yourselves?  How  can  you  follow  them  with  importunate  solicitations 
to  forsake  sin,  and  betake  themselves  to  a  holy  life,  who  never  felt 
the  evil  of  the  one,  or  the  worth  of  the  other  ?  And  let  me  tell  you, 
these  things  are  never  well  known  till  tliey  are  felt  ;  and  that  he 
who  feeleth  them  not  himself,  is  not  likely  to  speak  feelingly  of  them 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  283 

to  Others,  or  to  help  others  to  feel  them.  He  that  does  not  so  strong- 
ly believe  the  word  of  God  and  the  life  to  come,  as  to  take  off  his  own 
heart  from  the  vanities  of  this  world,  and -bring  him,  with  resolution 
and  diligence,  to  seek  his  own  salvation,  cannot  be  expected  to  be 
faithful  in  seeking  the  salvation  of  other  men.  He  that  dares  to  damn 
himself,  will  dare  to  let  others  alone  in  the  way  to  damnation.  He 
that,  with  Judas,  will  sell  his  master  for  silver,  will  not  scruple  to 
make  mercliandize  of  the  flock.  We  may  well  expect  that  he  will 
have  no  pity  on  others,  who  is  thus  wofully  cruel  to  himself;  and 
surely  he  is  not  to  be  trusted  with  other  men's  souls,  who  is  unfaith- 
ful to  his  own.  It  is  a  very  unlikely  thing  that  he  will  fight  against 
Satan,  with  all  his  might,  or  do  any  great  harm  to  his  kingdom,  who 
is  himself  a  servant  of  Satan  and  a  subject  of  that  kingdom  ;  or  that 
he  will  be  true  to  Christ,  who  is  in  covenant  with  his  enemy.  What 
prince  will  choose  the  friends  and  voluntary  servants  of  his  enemy  to 
lead  his  armies  in  war  against  him?  Yet  alas!  many  preachers  of 
the  gospel  are  enemies  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  which  they  preach. 
O  how  many  such  traitors  have  been  in  the  church  of  Christ  in  all 
ages,  who  have  done  more  against  him  under  his  colours,  than  they 
could  have  done  in  the  open  field  !  Though  many  of  these  men  seem 
excellent  preachers,  and  cry  down  sin  as  loudly  as  others,  yet  it  is  all 
but  an  affected  fervency,  and  commonly  but  a  mere  ineffectual  bawl- 
ing. A  traitorous  commander,  who  shooteth  nothing  against  the  en- 
emy but  powder,  may  cause  his  guns  to  make  as  great  a  report  as 
theirs  that  are  loaded  with  bullets  ;  but  he  doth  no  hurt  to  the  enemy 
by  it.  So  one  of  these  men  may  speak  as  loud  and  with  as  much  seeming 
fervency  as  others ;  but  he  will  seldom  do  any  great  execution  against 
sin  and  Satan.  No  man  can  fight  well  but  where  he  hateth,  or  is 
very  angry  :  much  less  against  those  whom  he  loveth,  and  loveth 
above  all.  So  that  you  see,  an  unsanctified  man,  who  loveth  the  en- 
emy, is  very  unfit  to  be  a  leader  in  Christ's  army  ; — that  he  is  very 
unlikely  to  engage  others  to  renounce  the  world  and  the  flesh,  who 
cleaveth  to  them  himself  as  his  chief  good. 

If  such  a  wretched  man  would  take  my  counsel,  he  should  make 
a  stand,  and  call  his  heart  and  life  to  an  account.  He  should  fall  a 
preaching  a  while  to  himself,  before  he  preach  to  others  any  more ! 
He  should  consider,  whether  "  he  that  names  the  name  of  Christ" 
should  not  "depart  from  all  iniquity?"  Whether,  "  if  he  regards  iniqui- 
ty in  his  heart,  God  will  hear  his  prayers  ?"  And  whether  a  wicked 
preacher  "  shall  stand  in  the  judgement,  or  a  sinner  in  the  assembly 
of  the  just  ?"  (Psalm  i.  5.)  When  such  thoughts  as  these  have  entered 


■^S4  THE  REIOKMKD  PAS!  OR. 

into  his  soul,  and  kindly  wrought  upon  his  conscience,  I  would  ad- 
vise him  next,  to  go  to  the  congregation,  and  there  preach  over  Or- 
igen's  sermon  on  Psalm  l.  10,  17.  "  But  to  the  wicked,  God  saith,What 
hast  thou  to  do,  to  declare  my  statutes,  or  that  thou  shouldst  take  my 
covenant  into  thy  mouth  ?  Seeing  thou  hatest  instruction,  and  hast 
cast  my  words  behind  thee." — When  he  has  read  this  text,  I  would 
have  him  sit  down  (as  Origen  did)  and  expound  and  apply  it  by  his 
tears;  then  make  a  free  confession  of  his  guilt  before  the  assembly, 
and  desire  their  prayers  to  God  for  pardoning  and  renewing  grace  ; 
that  hereafter,  he  may  j)reach  a  Christ  whom  he  knows,  may  feel 
what  he  speaks,  and  may  commend  the  riches  of  the  gospel  by  expe- 
rience. 

II.  "  Take  heed  to  yourselves,"  that  you  be  not  destitute  of  the 
necessary  qualifications  for  your  work. 

And  oh  !  what  qualifications  are  requisite  for  a  man  that  hath 
such  a  charge  as  ours  !  He  must  not  be  a  babe  in  knowledge,  that 
will  teach  men  all  those  things  which  are  necessary  to  salvation.  How 
many  difficulties  in  divinity  are  there  to  be  opened ;  yea,  about  the 
very  fundamentals  of  religion  !  How  many  obscure  texts  to  be  ex- 
pounded !  How  many  duties  to  be  done,  wherein  ourselves  and  oth- 
ers may  miscarry,  if  in  the  matter,  the  end,  the  manner,  and  circum- 
stances of  them,  they  be  not  well  informed!  How  many  sins,  and 
subtile  temptations  must  we  direct  our  people  to  avoid  !  How  many 
weighty,  and  yet  intricate,  cases  of  conscience  have  we  frequently  to 
resolve  !  How  many  "  strong  holds"  have  we  to  beat  down  !  What 
subtile,  diligent,  and  obstinate  resistance  must  we  expect  from  those 
we  have  to  deal  with! — We  crnnot  make  a  breach  in  their  ground- 
less hopes  and  carnal  peace,  but  they  have  twenty  shifts  and  seeming 
jeasons  to  make  it  up  again  ;  and  as  many  enemies,  under  the  ap- 
pearance of  friends,  that  are  ready  to  help  them.  We  dispute  not 
with  them  upon  equal  terms  ;  but  we  have  children  to  reason  with, 
who  cannot  understand  us.  We  have  wilful,  unreasonable,  distracted 
men  to  deal  with  ;  who  when  they  are  silenced,  are  not  at  all  the 
more  convinced  ;  but  when  they  can  give  you  no  reason,  will  give 
you  their  resolution.  We  have  multitudes  of  raging  passions  and 
contradicting  enemies  to  dispute  against  at  once  ;  so  that  whenever 
we  go  about  the  conversion  of  a  sinner,  it  is  as  if  we  were  to  dispute 
in  a  noisy  crowd.  Dear  brethren  !  what  men  should  we  be  in  skill, 
resolution,  and  unwearied  diligence,  who  have  so  much  to  do,  [and  so 
much  to  hinder  us  in  doing  it !]  Did  Paul  cry  out,  (2  Cor.  ii.  16.) 
"  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?"  And  shall    ave   be  careless  or 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  v  285 

lazy,  as  if  we  were  sufficient?  "  Wiiat  manner  of  persons  ought  we 
to  be"  (2  Pet.  iii.  2.)  not  only  "  in  all  holy  conversation  and  godli- 
ness," but  in  all  knowledge,  resolution,  and  diligence  ! 

To  preach  a  sermon,  I  think  is  not  the  hardest  part  of  our  work  : 
And  yet  what  skill  is  necessary  to  make  plain  the  truth;  to  convince 
the  hearers ;  to  let  irresistible  light  into  their  consciences,  and  keep 
it  there  ;  to  drive  the  truth  into  their  minds,  and  answer  every  objec- 
tion that  opposes  it ;  and  at  the  same  time,  to  do  all  this  with  regard 
to  the  language  and  manner,  so  as  best  becomes  our  work  ;  as  is  most 
suitable  to  the  capacities  of  our  hearers  ;  and  so  as  to  honour  that 
great  God,  whose  message  we  deliver,  by  our  delivery  of  it  ! 

It  is  a  lamentable  case,  that,  in  a  message  from  the  God  of  heav- 
en, of  everlasting  consequence  to  the  souls  of  men,  we  should  behave 
ourselves  so,  as  that  the  whole  business  should  miscarry  in  our  hands. 
— That  God  should  be  dishonoured  ;  his  work  disgraced  ;  and  sin- 
ners rather  hardened  than  converted,  throucrh  our  weakness  or  new- 
lect.  [Yet  how  frequently  is  this  the  case  !J  How  often  have  carnal 
hearers  gone  jeering  home,  at  the  palpable  and  dishonourable  failings 
of  the  preacher  !  How  many  sleep  under  us,  because  our  hearts  and 
tongues  are  sleepy,  and  we  bring  not  with  us  skill  and  zeal  enough 
to  awaken  them  ! — Brethren,  do  you  not  shrink  and  tremble  under  a 
sense  of  the  greatness  of  your  work?  Will  a  common  measure  of 
ability  and  prudence  serve  for  such  a  task  as  yours? — Necessity  may 
indeed  cause  the  church  to  tolerate  the  weak  ;  but  woe  to  us  if  we 
tolerate  and  indulge  our  ov.'n  weakness. 

Do  not  reason  and  conscience  tell  you,  that  if  you  dare  venture 
on  so  high  a  work  as  this,  you  should  spare  no  pains  to  be  fit  for  the 
performance  of  it  ?  It  is  not  now  and  then  an  idle  taste  of  studies,  that 
will  serve  to  make  an  able  divine.  I  know  that  laziness  has  learned 
to  argue,  from  the  insufficiency  of  all  our  studies,  that  the  Spirit  must 
wholly  and  alone  qualify  us  for,  and  assist  us  in  our  work.  But  can 
we  reasonably  think  that  God,  having  commanded  us  to  use  the 
means,  would  warrant  us  to  neglect  them  ?  Will  he  cause  us  to  thrive 
in  a  course  of  idleness  ?  Or  bring  us  to  knowledge  by  dreams?  Or 
take  us  up  to  heaven  and  shew  us  his  counsels,  while  we  are  uncon- 
cerned about  the  matter  ?  Strange  !  that  men  should  dare  by  their  sin- 
ful laziness,  thus  to  quench  the  spirit !"  God  has  required  of  us,  that  we 
"  be  not  slothful  in  business,  but  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord." 
(Rom.  xii.  11.)  Therefore,  brethren,  lose  no  time  :  study,  pray,  dis- 
course and  practise  ;  that  by  these  means  your  abilities  may  be  in- 
creased. 


286  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

Besides  the  composition  of  sermons,  how  many  other  things  should 
a  minister  understand  !  What  a  great  defect  would  it  be  to  be  igno- 
rant of  them;  and  how  much  shall  we  miss  such  knowledge  in  our 
work  !  In  order  to  gain  a  competent  measure  of  knowledge,  a  varie- 
ty of  books  must  b^  -ecd,  [and  well  digested.]  Experience  will  teach 
you,  that  men  are  not  to  be  made  learned  or  wise,  without  hard  study 
and  unwearied  diligence. — Shall  we  then  be  indolent  ?  Will  neither 
the  natural  desire  of  knowing,  nor  the  spiritual  desire  of  knowing 
God  and  things  divine,  nor  the  consciousness  of  our  ignorance  and 
weakness,  nor  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  our  ministerial  work,  keep 
us  close  to  our  studies,  and  make  us  diligent  in  seeking  after  truth  ? 
[Let  these  considerations  have  their  due  influence  upon  us.] 

We  should  the  rather  take  heed  to  our  qualifications,  because  such 
works  as  ours  put  men  more  upon  the  use  and  trial  of  their  graces,  than 
those  of  other  persons.  Weak  gifts  and  graces  may  carry  a  man 
through  an  even  and  laudable  course  of  life,  who  is  not  exercised  with 
any  great  trials.  Small  strength  may  serve  for  easier  works,  and 
lighter  burdens  :  But  if  you  will  venture  on  the  great  undertakings  of 
the  MINISTRY  ;  if  you  will  engage  against  "principalities  and  powers, 
and  spiritual  wickednesses,'  (Eph.  vi.  12.)  in  order  to  rescue  captive 
sinners  from  the  dominion  of  Satan,  and  lead  on  the  troops  of  Christ 
in  the  face  of  all  their  enemies,  common  abilities  will  not  be  sufficient. 
The  tempter  will  make  his  first  and  sharpest  onset  on  you.  He  bears 
you  the  greatest  malice,  who  are  engaged  to  do  him  the  greatest  mis- 
chief. He  has  found,  by  experience,  that  to  '  smite  the  shepherd,'  is 
the  most  effectual  means  to  '  scatter  the  flock.'  (Zech.  xiii.  17.)  You 
therefore  shall  have  his  most  subtile  insinuations,  incessant  solicita- 
tions, and  violent  assaults.  So  that  you  must  expect  to  come  oflf  with 
greater  shame  and  deeper  wounds,  than  if  you  had  lived  a  common 
life,  if  you  think  to  go  through  such  things  as  these  with  a  careless 
soul.  We  have  seen  many  persons  that  lived  a  private  life,  in  good 
reputation  for  parts  and  piety,  who,  when  they  have  taken  upon  them 
either  the  magistracy,  or  military  employment,  where  the  work  was 
superior  to  their  abilities,  have  met  with  scandal  and  disgrace.  So 
also  have  we  seen  some  private  Christians  of  good  esteem,  who,  hav- 
ing thought  too  highly  of  their  abilities,  and  thrust  themselves  into 
the  ministerial  office,  have  proved  weak  and  empty  men,  and  have  be- 
come some  of  the  greatest  burdens  to  the  church.  They  might,  per- 
haps, have  done  God  more  service,  had  they  continued  in  the  higher 
rank  of  private  men,  than  they  did  among  the  lowest  of  the  ministry. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 


287 


If  then  you  will  venture  into  the  midst  of  dangers,  and  bear  the  bur- 
den of  the  day,  *  take  heed  to  yourselves.' 

This  care  and  diligence  is  now  the  more  requisite  for  ministers, 
because  the  necessity  of  the  church  forces  so  many  from  our  places 
of  education,  so  very  young,  that  they  are  obliged  to  teach  and  learn 
together.  It  were  very  desirable  that  the  church  should  wait  longer 
for  their  preparation,  if  it  were  possible ;  but  I  would  by  no  means 
discourage  such  young  persons  as  are  drawn  out  by  mere  necessity, 
if  they  are  but  competently  qualified,  and  quickened,  with  earnest  de- 
sires of  men's  salvation,  to  close  study,  and  great  diligence  in  their 
work. — And  this  is  necessary  :  for  if  the  people  take  them  to  be  ig- 
norant, they  will  despise  their  teaching,  and  think  themselves  as  wise 
as  they.  The  lowest  degree  tolerable  in  a  minister,  is  to  be  "  supra 
vulgus  fidelium." — It  will  produce  some  degree  of  reverence,  when 
your  people  know  that  you  are  wiser  than  themselves. 

If  you  are  conscious  that  you  are  none  of  the  most  able  ministers, 
and  despair  of  being  reverenced  for  your  parts,  you  have  the  more 
need  to  study  and  labour  for  their  increase.  That  which  you  want  in 
natural  ability,  you  must  make  up  in  other  qualifications  ;  and  then 
you  may  be  as  successful  as  other  persons. 

III.  "  Take  heed  to  yourselves,"  that  your  exds  in  undertaking 
and  discharging  the  ministerial  office,  are  good  and  honourable. 

The  ultimate  end  of  our  pastoral  oversight,  is  that  which  is  the 
ultimate  end  of  our  whole  lives  :  viz.  to  please  and  glorify  God.  With 
this  is  connected  the  honour  of  Christ,  the  welfare  of  the  church,  and 
the  salvation  of  our  people  : — Their  sanctification  and  holy  obedi- 
ence ;  their  unity,  order,  beauty,  strength,  preservation,  and  increase. 

The  whole  ministerial  work  must  be  managed  purely  for  God,  and 
the  good  of  souls,  without  any  private  ends  of  our  own.  This  is  our 
sincerity  in  it.  None  but  the  upright  make  (jod  their  end.  or  do  all. 
or  any  thing  heartily,  for  his  honour.  As  for  other  persons,  they 
choose  the  ministry  rather  than  any  other  calling,  either  because  their 
parents  devoted  them  to  it ;  or  because  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  to  know, 
and  this  is  a  life  wherein  they  have  the  most  opportunity  to  furnish 
their  intellects  with  all  kinds  of  science  ;  or  because  it  is  not  so  fa- 
tiguing to  the  body,  (loving  to  favour  the  flesh,)  or  because  it  is  ac- 
companied with  some  degree  of  reverence  from  men  ;  and  they  es- 
teem it  an  honourable  thing  to  be  leaders  and  teachers  ; — to  have  oth- 
ers depend  on  them,  and  '  receive  the  law  at  their  mouth  ;'  or  because 
it  affords  them  a  comfortable  maintenance.  For  such  ends  as  these 
do  many  undertake  the  ministry  ;  and  were  it  not  for  some  or  other 


J288 


THK  KEl'OKMEU  I'ASIOK. 


of  these,  they  would  soon  give  it  over. — Now,  can  it  be  expected  that 
God  should  greatly  bless  the  services  of  such  men  ? — Since  it  is  not 
for  him  that  they  preach,  but  for  themselves, — their  own  ease  or  ad- 
vantage, no  wonder  if  he  leave  them  to  themselves  for  the  success. 
A  wrong  end  spoils  all  our  work  with  regard  to  ourselves,  how  good 
soever  it  may  in  itself  be. — They  that  undertake  this  as  a  common 
work,  to  make  a  trade  of  it,  in  order  to  their  subsistence  in  the  world, 
will  find  that  they  have  chosen  a  bad  trade,  though  it  be  a  good  em- 
ployment. Self-denial  is  of  absolute  necessity  in  every  Christian  : 
but  of  double  necessity  in  a  minister,  as  he  hath  a  double  sanctifica- 
tion  or  dedication  to  God;  and  without  self-denial  he  cannot  faithful- 
ly do  God  any  service.  Hard  studies,  much  knowledge,  and  excellent 
preaching,  if  the  end  be  not  right,  are  but  more  glorious,  hypocritical 
sinning. 

IV.  '  Take  heed  to  yourselves,'  lest  you  fall  into  those  sins  you 
preach  against,  and  lest,  by  your  example,  you  contradict  your  doc- 
trine. 

^Vill  you  make  it  your  business  to  magnify  God,  and  when  you 
have  done,  dishonour  him  as  much  as  others  1  Will  you  proclaim 
Christ's  governing  power,  and  yet  rebel  against  it?  Will  you  preach 
his  laws,  and  then  wilfully  break  them  ? — If  sin  be  evil,  why  do  you 
commit  it?  If  it  is  not,  why  do  you  dissuade  men  from  it  ?  If  God's 
threatenings  are  true,  why  do  you  not  fear  them  ?  If  they  are  false, 
why  do  you  needlessly  trouble  men  with  them?  '  Thou  that  teachest 
another,  teachest  thou  not  thyself  ?  Thou  that  makest  thy  boast  of 
the  law,  through  breaking  the  law,  dishorjourest  thou  God  ?"  (Rom. 
ii.  21 — 23.)  It  is  a  palpable  error  in  those  ministers,  who  make  such 
a  disproportion  between  their  preaching  and  their  living,  that  they 
will  study  hard  to  preach  accurately,  and  study  little  or  not  at  all  to 
LIVE  accurately.  They  are  loath  to  misplace  a  word  in  their  sermons, 
but  they  make  nothing  of  misplacing  their  affections,  words,  or  actions 
in  the  course  of  their  lives.  They  are  so  nice  in  their  compositions, 
that  they  seem  to  look  upon  it  as  a  virtue  in  them  to  preach  seldom, 
that  their  language  may  be  the  more  polite  ;  and  all  the  rhetorical 
writers  they  can  meet  with  are  pressed  to  serve  them  for  the  adorning 
their  style;  but  when  it  comes  to  matter  of  practice,  how  little  do  they 
regard  what  they  said  ?  What  difference  is  there  between  their  pul- 
pit-speeches and  their  familiar  discourse !  They  that  are  most  impa- 
tient of  barbarisms  and  solecisms  in  a  sermon,  can  too  easily  tolerate 
them  in  their  conversation. — Surely,  brethren,  we  have  great  cause  to 
take  heed  what  we  do,  as  well  as  what  we  say.     A  practical  doctrine 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  289 

must  be  practically  preached.  We  must  study  as  hard  how  to  live 
well,  as  how  to  preach  well.  If  the  saving  of  sou!s  be  your  end,  you 
will  certainly  attend  to  it  out  of  the  pulpit,  as  well  as  in  it ;  you  will 
LIVE  for  it,  and  contribute  all  your  endeavours  to  attain  it.  If  you  in- 
tend the  end  of  the  ministry  only  in  the  pulpit,  it  seems  you  take 
yourselves  for  ministers  no  longer  than  you  are  there  :  and  if  so,  I 
think  you  are  unworthy  to  be  esteemed  such  at  all. 

You  have  very  great  need  of  the  strictest  care  over  your  conduct ; 
for  you  have  the  same  depraved  nature  and  sinful  inclinations  as 
others.  There  are  in  the  best  of  us,  the  remnants  of  pride,  unbelief, 
self-seeking,  hypocrisy,  and  other  sins.  How  small  a  matter  may  cast 
us  down,  by  enticing  us  to  folly,  enkindling  our  passions,  perverting 
our  judgements,  abating  our  resolution,  and  cooling  our  zeal  !  With- 
out great  care,  our  treacherous  hearts  may  some  time  or  another  de- 
ceive us  ;  and  those  sins  that  seem  to  lie  dead,  may  revive. 

Remember  too,  that  as  you  have  the  same  evil  dispositions  as  oth- 
er persons,  you  are  exposed  to  temptations  peculiar  to  yourselves ; 
particularly,  (as  has  been  already  observed)  from  the  great  enemy  of 
souls ;  who  obtains  a  very  great  conquest,  if  he  can  make  a  minister 
unfaithful,  and  tempt  him  into  sin.  Do  not  gratify  your  grand  adver- 
sary, nor  give  him  an  occasion  to  insult  and  triumph. 

Again,  many  eyes  are  upon  you,  and  therefore  many  will  observe 
your  falls.  The  eclipses  of  the  sun  by  day  time,  are  seldom  without 
many  witnesses.  If  other  men  may  sin  without  great  observation, 
YOU  cannot.  While  "  you  are  as  lights  set  upon  a  hill,  you  cannot 
be  hid."  (Matt.  v.  14.)  The  light  of  your  doctrine  will  expose  your 
evil  doings.  Live  therefore  as  those  who  remember  that  the  world 
looks  oii  you  with  the  quick-sighted  eye  of  malice,  ready  to  find  the 
smallest  fdult ;  to  aggravate  and  divulge  it ;  yea,  to  make  faults  where 
there  are  none. 

Further,  take  heed  to  your  conduct,  because  your  sins  are  attend- 
ed with  more  heinous  aggravations  than  those  of  other  men.  It 
was  a  saying  of  king  Aijmionsus,  "  that  a  great  man  cannot  commit 
a  small  sin."  We  may  with  more  propriety  say,  that  aLEAiiNED  man, 
and  a  teacher  of  others,  cannot :  or  at  least,  that  that  &in  is  great 
when  committed  by  him,  which  would  be  esteemed  smaller  in  anoth- 
er person. — Your  sins  are  committed  against  greater  knowledge  than 
the  sins  of  most  others  can  be.  They  discover  greater  hypocrisy,  and 
carry  in  them  greater  treachery.  You  are  laid  under  more  solemn 
obligations  to  abstain  from  them  than  other  men,  and  you  enjoy  supe- 
rior advantages  for  so  doinsi'. 


290 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 


Again,  take  heed  of  falling  into  sin,  because  the  honour  of  your 
Lord  and  Master  is  concerned.  As  you  may  do  him  more  service, 
so  you  may  do  him  more  disservice  than  others.  The  nearer  men 
stand  to  God,  the  greater  dishonour  does  he  receive  from  their  mis- 
carriages. A  heavy  judgement  was  threatened  and  executed  on  Eli 
and  his  house,  because  they  "  kicked  at  his  sacrifice  and  offering  ;" 
and  we  are  told,  "  the  sin  of  the  young  men  was  great  before  the 
Lord,"  because  on  account  of  their  profane  behaviour,  "  men  abhor- 
red the  offering  of  the  Lord."  (1  Sam.  ii.  29  and  17.)  The  aggrava- 
tion of  their  sin  was,  that  it  "  caused  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  to  blas- 
pheme ;"  (2  Sam.  xii.  11-14.)  which  circumstance  provoked  God  to 
deal  more  sharply  with  David  with  respect  to  his  crime,  than  otherwise 
he  would  have  done.  Never  give  sinners  occasion  to  say,  "  there  goes 
a  covetous,  or  a  drunken  priest  :"  or  to  reflect,  when  they  see  you,  that 
notwithstanding  all  your  talk,  you  are  as  bad  as  they.  "  Offences  will 
come  ;  but  woe  to  the  man  by  whom  they  come."  (Matt,  xviii.  7.) 
You  "  bear  the  ark  of  the  Lord  ;"  you  are  intrusted  with  his  honour  ; 
and  dare  you  let  it  fall  ?  Take  heed,  in  the  name  of  God,  of  every 
word  you  speak,  and  of  every  step  you  take.  God  will  indeed  wipe 
off  all  the  dishonour  that  may  be  cast  upon  him  ;  but  you  will  not  so 
easily  remove  the  shame  and  sorrow  from  yourselves. 

Once  more ;  take  heed  to  your  conduct,  because  the  success  op 
ALL  YOUR  LABOURS  does  Very  much  depend  upon  it.  If  you  unsay  by 
your  lives,  what  you  say  with  your  lips,  you  will  prove  the  greatest 
hinderers  of  your  own  work.  It  greatly  prevents  our  success,  that  oth- 
er men  are  all  the  week  contradicting  to  the  people  in  private,  what 
we  have  been  speaking  to  them  from  the  word  of  God,  in  public;  but 
it  will  prevent  it  much  more,  if  we  contradict  ourselves  ;  if  our  ac- 
tions give  our  words  the  lie.  This  is  the  way  to  make  men  think  that 
the  word  of  God  is  but  an  idle  tale.  Surely  he  that  means  as  he 
speaks,  will  do  as  he  speaks.  One  improper  word,  one  unbecoming 
action,  may  blast  the  fruit  of  many  a  sermon. 

Say,  brethren,  in  the  fear  of  God,  do  you  regard  the  success  of 
your  labours,  and  wish  to  see  it  upon  the  souls  of  your  hearers,  or  do 
you  not?  If  you  do  not,  why  do  you  study  and  preach,  and  call  your- 
selves the  ministers  of  Christ  1  If  you  do,  surely  you  cannot  easily 
be  induced  to  spoil  your  own  work.  You  do  not  much  regard  the 
success  of  it,  if  you  are  willing  to  sell  it  at  so  cheap  a  rate,  as  for  the 
indulgence  of  any  sin.  Long  enough  may  you  lift  up  your  voices  , 
against  sin,  before  men  will  believe  there  is  any  such  harm  in  it,  or 
such  danger  attending  it  as  you  talk  of,  if  they  see  you  commit  it 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  291 

yourselves.  While  men  have  eyes  as  well  as  ears,  they  will  think  they 
see  your  meaning,  as  well  as  hear  it ;  and  they  are  much  more  ready 
to  believe  what  they  see,  than  what  they  hear.  All  that  a  preacher 
does,  is  a  kind  of  preaching.  When  you  live  a  covetous  or  careless 
life ;  when  you  drink  or  game,  or  lose  your  time,  and  the  like  ;  by 
your  practice  you  preach  these  sins  to  your  people.  They  will  o-ive 
you  leave  to  speak  against  them  in  the  pulpit  as  much  as  you  will,  if 
you  will  but  let  them  alone  afterwards,  and  talk  and  live  as  they  doj 
for  they  take  the  pulpit  to  be  but  as  a  stage ;  a  place  where  preachers 
must  shew  themselves  and  play  their  parts  ;  where  you  have  liberty 
for  an  hour  to  say  what  you  please.  They  will  not  much  regard  it, 
if  you  do  not  shew,  by  your  conduct  amongst  them,  that  you  meant 
as  you  said; 

Consider  further,  (since  the  success  of  your  labours  depends  on 
the  grace  and  blessing  of  God)  whether  you  will  not,  by  your  sins, 
provoke  him  to  forsake  you  and  blast  your  endeavours  ;  at  least  with 
regard  to  yourselves,  though  he  may  in  some  measure  bless  them  to 
his  people.     Once  more, 

V.  "  Take  heed  to  yourselves,"  that  your  graces  be  maintained 
in  life  and  in  action. 

For  this  end,  preach  to  yourselves  the  sermons  you  study,  before 
you  preach  them  to  others.  If  you  were  to  do  this  for  your  own 
sakes,  it  would  be  no  lost  labour.  But  I  principally  recommend  it  on 
the  public  account,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  church.  When  your 
minds  are  in  a  holy  frame,  your  people  are  likely  to  partake  of  it. 
Your  prayers  and  praises  and  doctrine  will  be  sweet  and  heavenly  to 
them.  They  are  likely  to  feel  it  when  you  have  been  much  with 
God.  That  which  is  on  your  hearts  most,  v.ill  be  most  in  their  ears. 
T  confess,  I  must  speak  it  by  lamentable  experience,  that  I  publish  to 
my  flock  the  distempers  of  my  soul.  When  I  let  my  heart  grow  cold, 
my  preaching  is  cold  ;  and  when  it  is  confused,  my  preaching  is  con- 
fused also.  And  I  have  often  observed  it  in  the  best  of  my  hearers, 
that  when  I  have  grown  cold  in  preaching,  they  have  grown  cold  ac- 
cordingly. The  next  prayers  I  have  heard  from  them,  have  been  too 
much  like  my  sermons.  You  cannot  decline  and  neglect  your  duty, 
but  others  will  be  losers  by  it  as  well  as  yourselves.  If  we  let  our 
love  decrease,  and  if  we  abate  our  holy  care  and  watchfulness,  it  will 
soon  appear  in  our  doctrine.  If  the  matter  shew  it  not,  the  manner 
will  ;  and  our  hearers  are  likely  to  fare  the  worse  for  it.  Whereas, 
if  we  could  abound  in  faith  and  love  and  zeal,  how  would  they  over- 
flow to  the  refreshing  of  our  congregations  !  and  how  would  this  ap- 


292  THE  UEFORMliU   PASTOi:. 

pear  by  increasing  the  same  graces  in  our  people  !  Watcli  tlierefore, 
brethren,  over  your  own  hearts.  Keep  out  lusts,  and  worldly  inclina- 
tions ;  and  keep  up  the  life  of  faith  and  love.  Be  much  at  home,  and 
be  much  with  God.  li'it  be  not  your  daily  serious  business  to  study 
your  own  hearts,  to  subdue  corruptions,  and  to  "  walk  with  God,"  all 
will  go  amiss  with  you,  and  you  will  starve  your  audience. — Or  if  you 
have  an  affected  fervency,  you  cannot  expect  any  great  blessing  to  at- 
tend it.  — Above  all,  be  much  in  secret  prayer  and  meditation. 
Thence  you  must  fetch  the  heavenly  fire,  that  must  kindle  your  sacri- 
fices. 

But  besides  this  general  course  of  watchfulness  for  ourselves  and 
others,  methinks  a  minister  should  take  some  special  pains  with  his  own 
heart,  just  before  he  goes  to  the  congregation.  If  it  be  cold  then, 
how  is  he  likely  to  warm  the  hearts  of  his  hearers  ?  Go  then  to  God 
especially  for  life.  Read  some  rousing,  awakening  book  ;  or  medi- 
tate on  the  vast  importance  of  the  subject  on  which  you  are  to  speak  ; 
and  on  the  great  necessity  of  your  people's  souls  ;  that  thus  you  may 
go,  in  "  the  zeal  of  the  Lord,  into  his  house."     (Psalm  Ixix.  9.) 


PART  SECOJYD. 

OF  THE  DUTY  OF  STATED  MINISTERS  WITH    UESPECT  TO  THEIR  PEOPLE. 

Having  showed  you,  as  it  was  first  necessary,  what  we  must  be. 
and  what  we  must  do  ibr  our  own  souls,  I  proceed  to  the 

Second  branch  of  the  exhortation  ;  which  is  thus  expressed  : 
"  Take  heed  unto  all  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  pur- 
chased with  his  own  blood." 

Here  it  is  necessarily  supposed  that  every  fiock  should  have  their 
own  pastor,  and  every  pastor  his  own  flock.  It  is  the  will  of  God, 
that  christians  should  "  know  their  teachers  that  labour  among  them, 
and  are  over  them  in  the  Lord."  ( I  Thess.  v.  12.)  Paul  and  Bai:- 
NABAs  "  ordained  elders  in  every  church."  (Acts  xiv.  25.  See  Tit. 
i.  5.)  Though  a  minister  be  an  ofiicer  in  the  universal  church,  yet 
he  is  in  an  especial  manner  the  overseer  of  that  particular  church 
which  is  committed  to  his  care.  When  we  are  ordained  ministers, 
without  a  special  charge,  we  are  licensed  and  commanded  to  do  our 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  293 

best  for  all,  where  we  are  called  to  exercise  ;  but  when  we  have  un- 
dertaken a  particular  charge,  we  have  restrained  the  exercise  of  our 
gifts  and  guidance  especially  to  that :  so  that  we  should  allow  others 
no  more  of  our  time  and  help  than  our  own  flock  can  spare.  From 
this  relation  of  pastor  and  flock,  arise  those  duties  which  we  mutually 
owe  each  other. 

[t  is  further  implied,  that  our  flocks  should  be  no  larger,  than  we 
are  capable  of  overseeing,  or  taking  the  care  of.  The  nature  of  the 
pastoral  work  is  such  as  requires  it  to  be  done  by  the  pastor  himself. 

By  the  flock  or  church  is  meant  that  particular  society  of  chris- 
tians of  which  a  bishop  or  elder  has  the  charge  ;  associated  for  per- 
sonal communion  in  God's  public  worship,  and  for  other  mutual  assis- 
tance in  the  way  to  salvation. 

What  is  meant  when  we  are  exhorted  nocfiaivftv  triv  {xxlr]aiav 
seems  to  be,  not  only  to  feed  the  church,  as  it  is  translated  ;  not 
merely  to  rule  it,  as  some  understand  it  ;  but  to  perform  every 
branch  of  the  pastoral  oversight.  In  a  word,  it  is  pastorem  agere  ; 
to  do  the  work  of  a  pastor  to  the  flock. 

In  treating  of  this  part  of  the  exhortation,  we  shall  I.  Consider  and 
recommend  the  several  branches  of  the  ministerial  office.  (Ch.  i.)  A 
minister's  stated  public  work — preaching — prayer — and  administering 
the  sacraments. — (Ch.  ii.)  Personal  inspection,  and  private  instruction. 
— (Ch.  iii.)  The  several  cases  and  characters  to  be  regarded,  both  in 
preaching  and  private  discourse. —  (Ch.  iv.)  Catechising. — (Ch.  v.) 
Arguments  for  personal  instruction,  particularly  by  catechising. — (Ch. 
vi.)  Church  discipline. — II.  (Ch.  vii.)  The  motives  to  pastoral  fideli- 
ty, suggested  in  the  text. — III.  (Ch.  viii.)  The  objections  against  this 
course  of  ministerial  duty. — IV.  (Ch.  ix.)  Miscellaneous  directions  re- 
specting the  whole  ministerial  work. — V.  (Ch.  x.)  The  conclusion  ; 
being  a  particular  application  of  the  whole. 


CHAPTER  I. 


OF  A  MINISTER  S  STATED  PUBLIC  WORK — PREACHING  ;    PRAYER  ;    AND 
ADMINISTERING  THE  SACRAMENTS. 

One  of  the  most  important  and  most  excellent  parts  of  our  work  is 
I.  The  PUBLIC  PREACHING  of  the  word.     [Here  we  shall  suggest  a 


294  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

few  thoughts  on  the  design  of  preaching — the  manner  of  it — the  pro- 
nunciation-and  the  composition  of  sermons.] 

1.  Of  the  Design  of  Preaching. 

The  grand  design  of  preaching  is,  to  show  men  their  truest  hap- 
piness, and  to  direct  them  how  to  attain  it. — It  is  the  great  work  of 
christian  ministers,  to  acquaint  men  with  God,  and  that  glory  which 
all  his  chosen  people  shall  enjoy  in  his  presence  ;  to  show  them  the 
certainty  and  excellence  of  the  promised  felicity  in  the  life  to  come, 
compared  with  the  vanities  of  the  present  world,  that  so  we  may  turn 
the  stream  of  their  thoughts  and  affections,  bring  them  to  a  due  con- 
tempt of  this  world,  and  put  them  upon  seeking  that  durable  treasure. 
This  is  the  work  about  which  we  are  to  treat  with  men,  day  after 
day  ;  for  could  we  once  bring  them  to  propose  a  right  end,  and  set 
their  hearts  unfeignedly  on  God  and  heaven,  the  greatest  part  of  our 
business  would  be  done.  Having  shown  them  the  right  end,  our  next 
work  is  to  acquaint  them  with  the  right  means  of  attaining  it.  We 
must  first  teach  them  the  evil  and  danger  of  sin  ;  then  we  must 
open  to  them  the  great  mysteries  of  redemption  ; — the  person,  na- 
tures, incarnation,  life,  sufferings,  death,  resurrection,  ascension,  in- 
tercession, and  dominion  of  the  blessed  Son  of  God.  As  also,  the 
conditions  imposed  on  us  ;  the  duties  he  has  commanded  us ;  the  ev- 
erlasting torments  he  has  threatened  to  the  finally  impenitent ;  the 
rich  treasury  of  his  blessings  and  grace;  the  tenor  of  his  promises 
and  all  the  privileges  of  the  saints.  We  must  recommend  to  them 
a  life  of  holiness  and  communion  with  God.  We  must  excite  them 
to,  and  direct  them  in  the  performance  of  all  the  spiritual  duties 
which  the  gospel  requires.  At  the  same  time,  we  must  discov- 
er to  them  the  deceitfulness  of  their  own  hearts  ;  the  many  difficul- 
ties and  dangers  they  will  meet  with;  especially  we  must  show 
them  the  depth  of  Satan's  temptations,  and  assist  them  against  all 
these.  We  must  reveal  and  recommend  to  them  the  great  and 
gracious  designs  of  God,  in  his  works  of  creation,  providence,  re- 
demption, justification,  adoption,  sanctification,  and  glorification.  In 
a  word,  we  must  teach  them  as  much  as  we  can,  of  the  whole  works 
and  word  of  God.  And  what  two  volumes  are  here  for  a  minister  to 
preach  upon  !  how  great,  how  excellent,  how  wonderful !  All  chris- 
tians are  the  disciples  or  scholars  of  Christ :  the  church  is  his  school : 
we  are  his  ushers  :  the  Bible  is  his  grammar  :  this  it  is  we  must  be 
daily  teaching  them.  The  Papists  would  teach  them  without  book, 
lest  they  should  learn  heresies  from  the  word  of  truth  ;  but  our  busi- 
ness is  not  to  teach  them  without  book,  but  to  help  them  to  under- 
stand this  book  of  God. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  295 

2.  Of  the  Manner  of  Preaching. 

Preaching  is  a  work  which  requires  greater  skill,  and  especially 
greater  life  and  zeal,  than  any  of  us  commonly  bring  to  it.  It  is  no 
trifling  matter  to  stand  up  in  the  face  of  a  congregation,  and  deliver 
a  message  of  salvation  or  damnation,  as  from  the  living  God,  in  the 
name  of  the  Redeemer.  It  is  no  easy  thing  to  speak  so  plainly  that 
the  most  ignorant  may  understand  us  ;  so  seriously  that  the  deadest 
heart  may  feel  ;  and  so  convincingly  that  contradicting  cavillers  may 
be  silenced.  Certainly,  if  our  hearts  were  set  upon  the  work  of  the 
Lord  as  they  ought  to  be,  it  would  be  done  more  vigorously  than  by 
the  most  of  us  it  is.  Alas  !  how  few  ministers  preach  with  all  their 
might,  or  speak  about  everlasting  joys  and  torments  in  such  a  manner 
as  may  make  men  believe  that  they  are  in  earnest !  It  would  make  a 
man's  heart  ache  to  see  a  number  of  dead  and  drowsy  sinners  sit  un- 
der a  minister,  without  having  a  word  that  is  likely  to  quicken  or 
awaken  them.  The  blow  often  falls  so  light,  that  hard-hearted  per- 
sons cannot  feel.  Few  ministers  will  so  much  as  exert  their  voice, 
and  stir  themselves  up  to  an  earnest  delivery.  Or  if  they  speak  loud 
and  earnestly,  often-times  they  do  not  answer  it  with  earnestness  of 
matter ;  and  then  the  voice  does  but  little  good.  The  people  will  es- 
teem it  but  mere  bawling,  if  the  matter  does  not  correspond.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  would  grieve  one  to  hear  what  excellent  subjects  some 
ministers  treat  upon,  who  yet  let  them  die  in  their  hands  for  want  of  a 
close  and  lively  application  ; — what  fit  matter  they  have  for  convincing 
sinners,  and  yet  how  little  they  make  of  it.  O  sirs  !  how  plain,  how 
close,  how  serious  should  we  be  in  delivering  a  message  of  such  impor- 
tance as  ours,  when  the  everlasting  life  or  death  of  men  are  concerned 
in  it !  Methinks  we  are  no  where  so  much  wanting,  as  in  seriousness : 
yet  nothing  is  more  unsuitable  to  our  business,  than  to  be  slight  and  dull. 
What !  speak  coldly  for  God,  and  for  the  salvation  of  men  ?  Can  we 
believe  that  our  people  must  be  converted  or  condemned,  and  yet  can 
we  speak  to  them  in  a  drowsy  tone  ?  In  the  name  of  God,  brethren, 
awaken  your  hearts  before  you  come  into  the  pulpit ;  that  when  you 
are  there,  you  may  be  fit  to  awaken  the  hearts  of  sinners.  Remember, 
that  they  must  be  awakened,  or  damned  :  but  surely  a  sleepy  preach- 
er is  not  likely  to  awaken  them.  Though  you  give  the  holy  things  of 
God  the  highest  praises  in  words,  if  you  do  it  coldly,  you  will  unsay 
by  your  manner  all  that  you  have  said.  It  is  a  kind  of  contempt  of 
great  things,  (especially  so  great  as  these)  to  speak  of  them  without 
great  affection  and  fervency.     '•'  Whatsoever  our  hand  findeth  to  do," 


29G 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 


(certainly  then  in  such  a  work  as  preaching  for  men's  salvation)  we 
should  "  do  it  with  all  our  might."  (Eccl.  ix.  10.)  Though  I  do 
not  recommend  a  constant  loudness  in  your  delivery,  (for  that  will 
make  your  fervency  contemptible)  yet  see  to  it,  that  you  have  a  con- 
stant seriousness  ;  and  when  the  matter  requires  it  (as  it  should  do  in 
the  application,  at  least)  then  "  lift  up  your  voice  and  spare  not"  your 
spirits.  S[)eak  to  your  hearers  as  to  men  that  must  be  awakened  ei- 
ther here  or  in  hell.  Look  upon  your  congregation  with  seriousness 
and  compassion  ;  and  think  in  what  a  state  of  joy  or  torment  they 
must  be  forever ;  and  that  surely  will  make  you  earnest,  and  melt 
your  hearts  for  them.  Whatever  you  do,  let  the  people  see  that  you 
are  in  good  earnest.  You  cannot  soften  men's  hearts  by  jesting  with 
them,  or  telling  them  a  smooth  tale,  or  patching  up  a  gaudy  oration. 
They  will  not  cast  away  their  dearest  pleasures,  at  the  drowsy  request 
of  one  who  seems  not  to  mean  as  he  speaks,  or  to  care  raucii  whether 
his  request  be  granted  or  not. 

Let  us  then  rouse  up  ourselves  to  the  work  of  the  Lord.  Let  us 
speak  to  our  people  as  for  their  lives,  and  "  save  them  as  by  vio- 
lence, pulling  them  out  of  the  fire."  (Jude  23.)  Satan  will  not  be 
charmed  out  of  his  possessions  ;  we  must  lay  siege  to  the  souls  of  sin- 
ners, which  are  his  chief  garrison  ;  must  play  the  battery  of  God's 
ordnance  against  it,  and  play  it  close,  till  a  breach  is  made  ;  not  suf- 
fering them  to  make  it  up  again.  As  we  have  reasonable  creatures 
to  deal  with,  we  must  see  to  it  that  our  sermons  be  all  convincing  ; 
and  that  we  make  the  light  of  scripture  and  reason  shine  so  bright  in 
the  faces  of  the  ungodly,  that  unless  they  wilfully  shut  their  eyes,  it 
may  even  force  them  to  see.  A  sermon  full  of  mere  words,  while  it 
wants  the  light  of  evidence,  and  the  zeal  of  life,  is  but  an  image,  or  a 
well  dressed  carcase.  In  preaching,  there  is  intended  a  communion 
of  souls  between  us  and  our  people  ;  or  a  communication  of  somewhat 
from  ours  to  theirs.  We  must  endeavour  to  communicate  the  fullest 
light  of  evidence,  from  our  understandings  to  theirs;  and  to  warm 
their  hearts,  by  enkindling  in  them  holy  affections  from  our  own. 
The  great  things  which  we  are  to  commend  to  our  hearers,  have  rea- 
son enough  on  their  side,  and  lie  plain  before  them  in  the  word  of 
God.  We  should  therefore  be  so  furnished  with  a  proper  store  of  ev- 
idence, as  to  come  as  with  a  torrent  upon  tlieir  understandings,  and 
bear  down  all  before  us.  With  our  dilemmas  and  expostulations,  we 
should  endeavour  to  bring  them  to  a  nonplus,  tliat  they  may  be  forc- 
ed to  yield  to  the  power  of  truth ;  to  see  that  it  is  great  and  will  pre- 
vail. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  -«' 


3.  Of  the  Pronunciation. 

A  great  matter  with  most  of  our  hearers,  lies  in  the  pronunciation 
and  tone  of  the  voice.  The  best  matter  will  not  move  them  unless 
it  be  movingly  delivered.  When  a  man  has  a  reading  or  declaiming 
tone,  and  speaks  like  a  school-boy  saying  a  lesson  or  pronouncing  an 
oration,  few  are  much  affected  with  any  thing  that  he  says.  The 
want  of  a  familiar  tone  and  expression,  is  as  great  a  defect  ui  the  de- 
livery of  most  of  us,  as  any  thing  whatever:  in  this  respect  therefore 
we  should  be  careful  to  amend.  Let  us  guard  against  all  affectation 
and  speak  as  familiarly  to  oar  people  as  if  we  were  speaking  to  any  of 

them  personally. 

4    Of  the  Composition  of  Sermons. 

In  the  study  of  our  sermons  we  are  apt  to  be  negligent  ;  gather- 
incr  only  a  few  naked  heads,  and  not  considering  of  the  most  forcible 
expressions  to  set  them  home  to  men's  hearts.  We  must  study  how 
to  convince  and  get  within  men,  and  how  to  bring  each  truth  to  the 
quick;  not  leaving  all  this  to  our  extemporv  promptitude,  unless  it 
be  in  cases  of  necessity.  .         .    p 

Next  to  preaching  let  me  mention  another  very  important  part  oi 

our  public  work  ;  that  is,  ,         ^    ,  •      ^,         .„ 

II  To  auide  our  people,  and  be  their  mouth  to  God  in  the  praj- 
ers  and  praises  of  the  church  ;  as  also  to  bless  them  in  the  name  of 

the  Lord.  .  i  .    *   .„ 

This  sacerdotal  part  of  our  office  is  not  the  least;  nor  ought  it    o 
be  thrust  into  a  corner,  as  it  too  frequently  is.     A   very   considerable 
part  of  God's  public  service,  was   wont  in  all   ages  of  the  church,  till 
of  late,  to  consist  in   praises  and  eucharistical   acts  of  communion 
The  Lord's  day  was  kept  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving,  in  the  hymns   and 
common  rejoicings  of  the  faithful  ;  in  special   commemoration  of  the 
work  of  redemption,  and  the  happy   condition   of  the  gospel   church 
Though  I  am   as  apprehensive  of  the  necessity  of  preaching  as  most 
persons,  yet  I  think  it  ought  not  to  prevent  our  solemn   prayers  to. 
and  praises  of  God,  from  employing  more  of  the  Lord's  day  than  they 
generally  do.     Our  worship  should  be  as  evangelical  as  our  doctrine^ 
Fnow  as  it  is  our  business  to  lead  the  devotions  of  our  people  on  such 
solemn  occasions,  we  ought  to  take  great  care,  that  we  do  it  with  that 
propriety  and  fervour  which  will  promote  their  real  edification 

Another  part  of  our  pastoral  work,  which  I  may  take  nol.oe  of  m 

this  chapter,  is,  .  ,  ,      <• 

IIL  The  administration   of  the   sacred  mysteries,  or   the  seals  ot 

God's  covenant,  baptism,  and  the  Lord's  supper. 

38 


~98  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

Many  ministers  totally  neglect  these  ordinances;  others  adminis- 
ter them  in  a  very  careless  manner  ;  and  a  third  sort  lay  a  very  un- 
due stress  on  triflmg  circumstances  relating  to  them,  and  make  them 
a  matter  of  much  contention,  even  in  that  ordinance,  in  which  union 
and  communion  are  so  much  professed.  [I  shall  only  observe  that  we 
ought  carefully  to  avoid  all  these  faults.] 


CHAPTER  SECOND. 

OF  PERSONAL  INSPECTION  AND  PRIVATE  INSTRUCTION. 

We  are  commanded  in  the  text  to  "  take  heed  to  all  the  flock ;" 
that  is,  doubtless,  to  every  individual  member  of  it.  To  which  end 
it  is  necessarily  supposed,  that  we  should  know  every  person  that  be- 
longs to  our  charge  ;  for  how  can  we  take  heed  to  them  if  we  do  not 
know  them  1  We  must  labour  to  be  acquainted,  as  fully  as  we  can, 
not  only  with  the  persons,  but  with  the  state  of  all  our  people, — their 
inclinations,  and  conversations  ;  what  are  the  sins  they  are  most  in 
danger  of;  what  duties  they  neglect,  both  with  respect  to  the  matter 
and  the  manner  ;  and  to  what  temptations  they  are  peculiarly  liable. 
If  we  know  not  the  temperament  or  disease,  we  are  likely  to  prove 
unsuccessful  physicians. 

Being  thus  acquainted  with  all  the  flock,  we  must  take  diligent 
heed  to  them,  or  do  the  work  of  a  pastor  towards  every  individual. 
And  one  would  imagine,  that  all  reasonable  men  would  be  so  well  sa- 
tisfied in  regard  to  this,  that  nothing  need  be  said  to  recommend  it. 
Does  not  a  careful  shepherd  lock  after  every  individual  sheep,  and  a  good 
physician  attend  every  particular  patient?  Why  then  should  not  the 
shepherds  and  the  physicians  of  the  church  take  heed  to  every  indi- 
vidual member  of  their  charge  ?  Christ  himself,  the  great  and  '  good 
shepherd,'  who  has  the  whole  flock  to  look  after,  takes  care  of  every 
individual;  like  him  whom  he  describes  in  his  parable,  who  '  left  the 
ninety  nine  sheep  in  the  wilderness,  to  seek  after  one  that  was  lost.' 
Paul  '  taught  the  people  publicly,  and  from  house  to  house.*  He 
'  warned  every  man,  and  taught  every  man,  that  he  might  present  ev- 
ery man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus.  (Col.  i.  18.)  '  Every  man  is  to  seek 
the  law  at  the  priest's  lips.'  (Mai.  ii.  7.)  We  are  to  '  watch  for  souls 
as  those  that  must  give  an  account'  (Hob.  xiii.  17.)  how  we  have 
done  it. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  '^^ 

To  these  and  a  variety  of  other  scriptures  which  might  be  quoted 
to  our  present  purpose,  I  might  add  many  passages  from  the  ancient 
councils,  from  whence  it  appears  that  such  a  personal  inspection  was 
the  practice  of  the  most  ancient  times.  But  I  shall  only  mention  one 
from  Ignatius  : — "  Let  assemblies  be  often  gathered  ;  seek  after  (or 
inquire  of)  all  by  name  ;  despise  not  servant  men  or  maids."* 

Let  me  now  mention  a  few  particulars  to  which  this  part  of  our 
work  should  be  applied.  '' 

1.  We  should  use  all  the  means  we  can  to  insiruct  the  ignorant  in 
the  matters  of  their  salvation. 

We  should  use  our  own  most  plain  familiar  words  in  discoursing  with 
them,  and  should  give  or  lend  them  such  books  as  are  fit  for  them. 
We  should  persuade  them  to  learn  catechisms  ;  and  direct  such  as 
cannot  read,  to  get  help  of  their  neighbours,  whom  we  should  exhort 
to  give  them  their  assistance ;  especially  such  as  have  the  best  oppor- 
tunities for  it. 

2.  We  should  be  ready  to  give  advice  to  such  as  come  to  us  with 
cases  of  conscience  ;  especially  that  great  case  which  the  Jews  put  to 
Peter,  and  the  jailor  to  Paul  and  Silas,  '  What  must  we  do  to  be 
saved?' 

A  minister  is  not  only  to  be  employed  in  public  preaching  to  his 
people,  but  sliould  be  a  known  counsellor  for  their  souls,  as  the  law- 
yer is  for  their  estates,  and  the  physician  for  their  bodies.  Not  that 
a  minister  (any  more  than  a  physician  or  lawyer)  should  be  troubled 
with  every  trifling  matter  about  which  others  can  advise  them  as  well. 
But  every  man  that  is  in  doubts  and  difficulties  about  matters  of  im- 
portance, should  bring  his  case  to  his  minister  for  resolution.  Thus 
NicoDEMus  came  to  Christ,  as  it  was  usual  with  the  people  to  go  to 
the  priest,  '  whose  lips  were  to  preserve  knowledge,  and  at  whose 
mouth,  they  were  to  ask  the  law,  because  he  was  the  messenger  of 
the  Lord  of  hosts.'  (Mai.  ii.  7.)  Since  the  people  are  grown  too  much 
unacquainted  with  the  office  of  the  ministry,  and  their  own  duty  here- 
in, it  belongs  to  us  to  acquaint  them  with  it,  and  to  press  them  pub- 
licly, to  come  to  us  for  advice  in  cases  of  great  concernment  to  their 
souls.  What  abundance  of  good  might  we  do,  could  we  but  bring 
them  to  this  !  But  how  few  are  there  who  heartily  press  their  people 
to  it !  A  sad  case,  that  men's  souls  should  be  injured  and  hazarded 
by  the  total  neglect  of  so  great  a  duty;  and  that  ministers  should 
scarce  ever  tell  them  of  it  and  awaken  them  to  it !     Were  they   but 

*  nvyroTiQor  ffui ayt-yui  ytifffSciffav'  i|  oi uuuToc  TraiTug  ''>',Tf!.  Jov/.uvg  y.ai  dov- 
Xag  fitj  v7ieQ7;(fuiei.     Ignat.  ad  Polyc. 


3(M)  TUli    RLlOiiAlL^U    I' A.STOR. 

duly  scnsiWe  of  the  need  and  importance  of  it,  you  would  have  them 
more  fr  quently  knocking  at  your  doors,  to  open  their  cases,  to  make 
their  complaints,  and  to  ask  your  advice.  I  beseech  you  then,  put 
them  n)ore  upon  this  ;  and  perform  your  duty  carefully  when  they 
seek  your  help. 

To  this  end  it  is  very  necessary,  that  we  should  be  acquainted 
vvith  practical  cases,  and  especially  with  the  nature  of  true  grace,  so 
that  we  may  asi.ist  them  in  trying  their  states,  and  resolve  the  main 
question,  which  concerns  their  everlasting  life  or  death.  One  word 
of  seasonable,  prudent  advice,  given  by  a  minister  to  persons  in  ne- 
cessity, has  sometitnes  done  that  good  which  many  sermons  have  fail- 
ed of  doing. 

3.  We  should  have  an  especial  eye  upon  families,  to  see  that 
they  be  well  ordered,  and  that  the  duties  of  each  relation  be  well  per- 
formed. 

The  life  of  religion,  and  the  welfare  anJ  glory  of  church  and  state, 
depend  much  upon  family  government  and  duty.  If  we  suffer  the 
neglect  of  this,  we  ufido  all.  What  are  we  likely  to  do  towards  the 
reforming  of  a  congregation,  if  all  the  work  be  cast  upon  us  alone, 
and  masters  of  families  neglect  that  necessary  duty  of  theirs,  by  which 
they  are  obliged  to  help  us  ?  If  any  good  be  begun  by  the  ministry 
in  any  soul,  a  careless,  prayerless,  worldly  family  is  likely  to  stifle,  or 
very  much  hinder  it.  Whereas,  if  you  could  but  get  the  rulers  of  fa- 
milies to  do  their  part ;  to  take  up  the  work  where  you  left  it ;  what 
abundance  of  good  might  be  done  by  it !  Do  all  that  you  can  there- 
fore to  promote  this  business,  if  ever  you  desire  the  true  reformation 
and  welfare  of  your  parishes. 

To  this  end,  get  information,  how  every  family  is  conducted,  and 
how  God  is  worshipped  in  it,  that  you  may  know  how  to  proceed. 
Go  now  and  then  among  them,  when  they  are  most  at  leisure,  and 
ask  the  master  of  the  family  whether  he  prays  with  them  and  read* 
the  scripture.  Labour  to  convince  such  as  neglect  this,  of  their  sin. 
If  you  have  an  opportunity,  pray  with  them  before  you  go,  to  give 
them  an  example  what  you  would  have  them  do,  and  how  they  should 
do  it.  Then  get  them  to  promise  that  they  will  be  more  conscien- 
tious therein  for  the  future. — If  you  find  any  unable  to  pray  in  tolera- 
ble expressions,  through  ignorance  or  disuse,  persuade  them  to  study 
their  wants,  and  get  their  hearts  affected  with  them.  Advise  them 
frequently  to  visit  those  neighbours  who  use  to  pray,  that  they  may 
learn  ;  and  in  the  mean  time,  recommend  it  to  them  to  use  a  form  of 
prayer,  rather  than  omit  the  duty.     It  is  necessary  to  most  illiterate 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  301 

people,  who  have  not  been  brought  up  where  prayer  has  been  used,  to 
begin  with  a  form  ;  because  otherwise  they  will  be  able  to  do  nothing. 
From  a  sense  of  their  inability,  they  will  wholly  neglect  the  duty, 
though  they  desire  to  perform  it.  Many  persons  can  utter  some  hon- 
est requests  in  secret,  who  will  not  be  able  to  speak  tolerable  sense, 
before  others  ;  and  I  will  not  be  one  of  them  that  had  rather  the  duty 
were  wholly  neglected,  or  profaned  and  made  contemptible,  than  en- 
courage them  to  use  a  form,  either  recited  by  memory,  or  read.  Tell 
them  however,  that  it  is  their  sin  and  shame  to  be  so  unacquainted 
with  their  own  necessities,  as  not  to  know  how  to  speak  to  God  in 
prayer,  when  every  beggar  can  find  words  to  ask  an  alms ;  and  that 
this  form  is  only  to  be  used,  till  they  can  do  without  it ;  which  they 
ought  to  endeavour  after,  that  their  expressions  may  be  varied  accord- 
ing to  their  necessities  and  observations. 

See  that  besides  the  Bible,  they  have  some  profitable  moving 
books  in  every  family.  If  they  have  none,  persuade  them  to  buy 
some  of  a  low  price.  If  they  arc  not  able,  either  give  them,  or  pro- 
cure for  them  such  as  are  likely  to  be  of  the  greatest  use  to  them. 
Engage  them  to  read  in  the  evening,  when  they  have  leisure,  but  es- 
pecially on  the  Lord's  day ;  and  by  all  means  persuade  them  to  teach 
their  children  to  read  English.  Particularly,  direct  them  how  to 
spend  the  Lord's  day  ;  how  to  dispatch  their  worldly  business,  so  as 
to  prevent  encumbrances  and  distractions  ;  and  when  they  have  at- 
tended public  worship,  how  to  spend  their  time  in  their  families. 
The  life  of  religion  among  poor  people  especially,  depends  much  up- 
on this,  because  they  have  very  little  time  besides  this  to  spare.  If 
they  lose  this,  they  lose  all,  and  will  remain  ignorant  and  brutish. — 
Persuade  the  master  of  the  family,  every  Lord's  day  evening,  to  cause 
all  his  family  to  repeat  some  catechism  to  him,  and  give  him  an  ac- 
count of  what  they  have  learned  that  day  in  public.  If  you  find  any 
who  cannot  spend  their  time  profitably  at  home,  advise  them  to  take 
their  families  to  some  godly  neighbour  that  can. 

If  any  in  the  family  are  known  to  be  unruly,  give  the  ruler  a  spe- 
cial charge  concerning  them,  and  make  him  understand  what  a  sin  it 
is  to  connive  at,  and  tolerate  them.  If  you  can  thus  get  masters  of 
families  to  perform  their  duty,  they  will  save  you  much  pains  with  the 
rest,  and  greatly  promote  the  success  of  your  labours.  You  cannot 
expect  a  general  reformation,  till  you  procure  family  reformation. 
Some  little  obscure  religion  there  may  be,  in  here  and  there  one  ; 
but  while  it  slicks  with  single  persons,  and  is  not  promoted  by  these 
societies,  it  does  not  prosper,  nor  promise  much  for  future  increase. 


302  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

4.  Another  part  of  our  ministerial  oversight  lies  in  visiting  the 
SICK,  and  helping  them  to  prepare  for  a  fruitful  life,  or  a  happy 
death. 

Though  this  be  the  business  of  all  our  lives  and  theirs,  yet  a  time 
of  sickness  requires  extraordinary  care  both  in  them  and  us.  When 
time  is  almost  gone,  and  they  must  be  now  or  never  reconciled  to 
God  and  possessed  of  his  grace  ;  oh !  how  does  it  concern  them  to  re- 
deem their  few  remaining  hours,  and  '  lay  hold  on  eternal  life  !'  And 
when  we  see  that  we  shall  have  but  a  few  more  days  or  hours  with 
them,  in  which  to  speak  to  them  in  reference  to  their  eternal  state, 
what  man  that  is  not  an  infidel,  or  to  the  last  degree  stupid,  would 
not  be  with  them,  and  do  all  that  he  can  in  that  short  space  for  their 
salvation  1  Will  it  not  awaken  us  to  compassion,  to  look  upon  a  lan- 
guishing man,  and  think  that  within  a  few  days  his  soul  will  be  in 
heaven  or  in  hell  ?  So  great  is  the  change  made  by  death,  that  it 
should  awaken  us  to  the  greatest  sensibility  to  see  a  man  so  near  it ; 
and  it  should  excite  in  us  the  deepest  pangs  of  compassion,  to  do  the 
office  of  inferior  angels  for  the  soul,  before  it  departs  from  the  flesh, 
that  it  may  be  ready  for  the  convoy  of  superior  angels,  to  transmit  it 
to  the  prepared  glory.  When  a  man  is  almost  at  his  journey's  end, 
and  the  next  step  puts  him  into  heaven  or  hell,  it  is  time  for  us  to 
help  him  if  we  can,  while  there  is  hope. 

But  further  ;  as  the  present  necessity  of  sick  persons  should  in- 
duce us  to  take  that  opportunity  for  their  good,  so  should  the  advan- 
tage which  sickness  and  the  foresight  of  death  affordeth  for  it.  There 
are  few  of  the  stoutest  hearts  but  will  hear  us  on  their  death-beds, 
though  they  scorned  us  before.  They  will  then  be  as  tame  as  lambs, 
who  were  before  as  untractable  as  mad-men.  I  find  not  one  in  ten  of 
the  most  obstinate,  scornful  wretches  in  the  parish,  but  when  they 
come  to  die,  will  humble  themselves,  confess  their  faults,  seem  peni- 
tent, and  promise,  if  they  should  recover,  to  reform  their  lives.  With 
what  resolution  will  the  worst  of  them  seem  to  cast  away  their  sins, 
exclaim  against  their  follies,  and  the  vanities  of  the  world,  when  they 
see  that  death  is  in  earnest  with  them  !  I  confess  it  is  very  common 
for  persons  at  such  a  season  to  be  frightened  into  ineffectual  purposes, 
but  not  so  common  to  be  converted  to  fixed  resolutions.  Yet  there 
are  some  exceptions.  That  there  are  so  few,  should  make  both  them 
and  us  the  more  diligent  in  the  time  of  health ;  and  that  there  are  any 
should  bestir  us  at  last,  in  the  use  of  the  last  remedies. 

It  will  not  be  useless  to  ourselves  to  read  such  lectures  of  mor- 
tality.    Surely  it  will  much  try  the  faith  and  seriousness  of  ministers 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  308 

or  Others,  to  be  about  dying  men  :  they  will  have  much  opportunity 
to  discern,  whether  they  themselves  are  in  good  earnest  about  the  af- 
fairs of  the  world  to  come.  '  It  is  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing, than  to  the  house  of  feasting ;'  for  it  tends  to  '  make  the  heart 
better'  when  we  see  '  the  end  of  all  the  living,'  (Eccl.  vii.  2.)  and 
what  it  is  that  the  world  will  do  for  those  who  sell  their  salvation  for 
it. — Ft  will  excite  us  the  better  to  consider  the  use  of  faith  and  holi- 
ness, which  cannot  prevent  us  from  dying,  any  more  than  others,  but 
which  may  enable  us  to  die  better  than  they. 

To  render  your  visits  to  the  sick  the  more  useful,  take  the  fol- 
lowing directions. 

(1.)  Stay  not  till  their  strength  and  understanding  be  gone,  and 
the  time  so  short  that  you  scarcely  know  what  to  do,  but  go  to  them 
as  soon  as  you  hear  they  are  sick,  whether  they  send  for  you  or  not. 

(2.)  When  the  time  is  so  short,  that  there  is  no  opportunity  to 
attempt  the  change  of  their  hearts  in  that  distinct  and  gradual  way 
which  is  usual  with  others,  we  must  be  sure  to  dwell  upon  those  truths 
which  are  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  which  are  the  most  likely 
to  effect  the  great  work  of  their  conversion. — Show  them  the  certainty 
and  glory  of  the  life  to  come ;  the  way  in  which  it  was  purchased  ; 
the  great  sin  and  folly  of  neglecting  it  in  time  of  health  ;  yet  the  pos- 
sibility that  remains  of  obtaining  it,  if  they  do  but  close  with  it  hearti- 
ly, as  their  happiness,  and  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  way 
thereto  ;  abhorring  themselves  for  their  former  evil,  and  unfeignedly 
resigning  up  themselves  to  be  justified,  sanctified,  ruled,  and  saved  by 
him.  Show  them  the  sufficiency  and  necessity  of  the  redemption  by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  may,  and  must 
be  partakers  of;  the  nature  and  necessity  of  faith,  repentance,  and 
resolutions  for  new  obedience,  according  as  there  shall  be  opportuni- 
ty. Labour,  upon  conviction  and  deliberation,  to  engage  them  by 
solemn  promise  to  Christ,  that  if  their  lives  are  spared,  they  will  yield 
him  such  obedience.* 

(3.)  If  they  recover,  go  to  them  purposely  to  remind  them  of  their 
promises,  that  they  may  reduce  them  to  practice.  If,  at  any  time  af- 
terward, you  see  them  remiss,  go  to  them  again,  to  put  them  in  mind 
of  what  they  formerly  said  :  this  is  often  of  great  use  to  such  as  re- 
cover :  it  has  been  the  means  of  converting  many  a  soul.  It  is  ne- 
cessary therefore,  that  you  visit  them  whose  sickness  is  not  mortal,  as 

*  In  Mr.  Baxter's  practical  works  (Vol.  I.  p.  511,  Szc.)  tliere  is  "  A  form 
of  exhortation  to  the  godly  and  the  ungodly  in  thtir  sickness,"  which  the 
reader  may  find  it  worth  his  while  to  consult,  for  further  direction  on  this  head. 


304  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

well  as  them  that  are  dying  :  you  will  hereby  have  some  advantage  to 
bring  them  to  repentance  and  newness  of  life,  as  you  will  afterwards 
have  this  to  plead  against  their  sins.  When  the  emperour  Sigismund 
asked  the  bishop  of  Colen,  "  What  was  the  way  to  be  saved  ?"  He 
answered  him,  "  that  he  must  be  what  he  promised  to  be,  when  he 
was  last  troubled  with  the  stone  or  the  gout."  In  such  a  manner,  may 
we  remind  our  people,  after  a  fit  of  sickness,  of  the  resolutions  they 
made  in  it. 

(5.)  It  is  the  duty  of  ministers  to  reprove  and  admonish  such  as 
have  been  guilty  of  notorious  and  scandalous  sins. 

Before  we  bring  such  matters  to  the  congregation,  [the  propriety 
and  manner  of  which  will  be  afterwards  considered]  it  is  ordinarily  fit 
for  the  minister  to  try  what  he  himself  can  do  more  privately,  to  bow 
the  sinner  to  repentance. — A  great  deal  of  skill  is  here  required,  and 
a  difference  must  be  made  according  to  the  various  tempers  of  the  of- 
fenders. But  with  the  most,  it  will  be  necessary  to  fall  on  with  the 
greatest  plainness  and  power  ; — to  shake  their  careless  hearts,  and  show 
them  the  evil  of  sin  ;  its  sad  effects;  the  unkindness,  unreasonable- 
ness, unprofitableness,  and  other  aggravations  that  attend  it ; — what 
it  is  they  have  done  against  God,  and  themselves. 

(6.)  We  ought  to  give  due  encouragement  to  those  humble,  upright, 
obedient  christians,  who  profit  by  our  teaching,  and  are  ornaments  to 
their  profession. 

We  should,  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  flock,  put  some  difference  be- 
tween them  and  others,  by  our  more  especial  familiarity,  and  other 
testimonies  of  our  approbation  of,  and  rejoicing  over  them,  that  so  we 
may  both  encourage  them,  and  excite  others  to  imitate  them.  God's 
graces  are  amiable  and  honourable  in  all,  even  in  the  poorest  of  the 
flock,  as  well  as  in  their  pastors.  The  smallest  degrees  must  be  cher- 
ished and  encouraged  ;  but  the  highest,  more  openly  honoured,  and 
proposed  to  imitation.  They  who  slight  the  most  gracious  because 
they  are  of  the  laity,  while  they  claim  to  themselves  the  honour 
of  the  clergy,  as  they  show  themselves  proud  and  carnal,  take  the 
ready  way  to  debase  themselves,  and  to  bring  their  office  into  con- 
tempt. If  there  be  no  honour  due  to  the  real  sanctity  of  a  christian, 
much  less  to  the  relative  sanctity  of  a  pastor  ;  nor  can  he  reasonably 
expect  it  should  be  given  him. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  305 

CHAPTER  THIRD. 

OF  SEVERAL  PARTICULAR  CASES  AND  CHARACTERS,  TO  BE  REGARDED 
BOTH  IN  PREACHING  AND  PRIVATE  DISCOURSE. 

[Having  treated  of  preaching  in  general,  and  recommended  pri- 
vate instruction,  with  regard  to  some  objects  peculiar  to  it,  we  shall 
now  take  notice  of  such  cases  as  are  to  be  attended  to  in  both.] 

I.  One  great  part  of  our  ministerial  work  (i.  e.  both  in  public  and 
in  private,)  is  to  bring  unsound  professors  to  sincerity. 

Though  we  be  not  absolutely  certain  that  this  or  that  man  in  partic- 
ular is  unsound  and  unsanctified,  yet,  as  long  as  we  have  a  certainty 
that  many  such  attend  upon  our  ministrations  ;  and  since  we  have  a 
great  probability  that  this  is  the  character  of  some  that  we  can  name, 
we  have  ground  enough  to  go  upon,  in  treating  with  them  for  their 
conversion. 

Alas  !  the  misery  of  the  unconverted  is  so  great,  that  it  calls  loud- 
est for  our  compassion.  They  are  "  in  the  gall  of  bitterness,  and  the 
bond  of  iniquity."  (Acts  viii.  23.)  They  have  "no  part  or  fellowship" 
in  the  pardon  of  sin,  or  the  hope  of  glory.  We  have  therefore  a  work 
of  great  necessity  to  do  for  them;  even  to  "open  their  eyes,  to  turn 
them  from  darkness  unto  light ;  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God  ; 
that  they  may  receive  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  an  inheritance 
among  the  sanctified  by  faith  in  Christ ;"  (Acts  xxvii.  18.) — to  soften 
and  "  open  their  hearts,"  to  the  entertainment  of  the  truth,  "  if  perad- 
venture  God  will  give  them  repentance,  to  the  acknowledging  of  it, 
that  they  may  escape  out  of  the  snare  of  Satan,  who  are  led  captive 
by  him  at  his  will."  (2  Tim.  ii.  25,  26.)  It  is  so  sad  a  case  to  see 
men  in  a  state  of  damnation,  that  methinks  we  should  not  be  able  to 
let  them  alone,  either  in  public  or  in  private,  whatever  other  work  we 
have  to  do.  I  confess  I  am  forced  frequently  to  neglect  that  which 
would  tend  to  the  further  increase  of  the  godly,  and  what  may  be  cal- 
led "  stronger  meat,"  (Heb.  v.  12.)  because  of  the  lamentable  neces- 
sity of  the  unconverted. — Who  can  talk  of  controversies,  or  nice  un- 
necessary points,  or  even  truths  of  a  lower  degree  of  necessity,  how- 
ever excellent,  to  gratify  certain  hearers  of  higher  fancies,  (who  look 
for  rarities,  and  expect  to  have  their  ears  pleased,)  while  he  sees  a 
number  of  ignorant,  carnal,  miserable  sinners,  before  him,  who  must 
be  CHANGED  or  DAMNED  ? — Methiuks  I  even  see  them  entering  upon 
their  final  woe  !  Methinks  I  hear  them  crying  out  for  the  speediest 
help! — If  they  have  not  hearts  to  seek  or  ask  for  help  themselves, 
their  misery  speaks  the  louder. — As  Paul's  "  spirit  was  stirred  vvith- 
39 


306  THE  KEl'OUMEU  PASTOR. 

in  him,"  when  lie  saw  the  Athenians  so  addicted  to  idolatry,  (Acts 
xvii.  16.)  methinks  it  should  cast  us  into  one  of  his  paroxysni.s,  to  see 
such  numbers  of  men  in  the  greatest  danger  of  being  everlastingly 
undone.  If  by  faith  we  did  indeed  look  upon  them  as  within  a 
step  of  hell,  it  would  more  effectually  untie  our  tongues,  than  Croe- 
sus's danger  did  his  son's.  He  that  will  let  a  sinner  go  down  to  hell 
for  want  of  speaking  to  him,  has  infinitely  less  esteem  for  souls  than 
the  Redeemer  of  them  had  ;  and  less  for  his  neighbour,  than  rational 
charity  will  allow  him  to  have  for  his  greatest  enemy.  Oh  !  there- 
fore brethren,  whomsoever  you  neglect,  neglect  not  the  most  misera- 
ble. Whatever  you  pass  over,  forget  not  poor  souls,  who  are  under 
the  condemnation  and  curse  of  the  law,  and  who  may  every  hour  ex- 
pect the  infernal  execution,  if  a  speedy  change  do  not  prevent  it. 
Oh  !  call  after  the  impenitent  with  the  greatest  importunity,  and  dil- 
igently pursue  this  great  work  of  converting  souls,  whatever  else  you 
leave  undone  ! 

II.  The  next  part  of  our  ministerial  work,  is  for  the  building  up 
those  who  are  already  converted. 

And  here  our  work  is  various,  according  to  the  various  conditions 
of  such. 

1.  Many  of  our  flock  are  young  and  weak;  though  of  long  stand- 
ing, yet  of  small  proficiency  or  strength. 

Indeed  this  is  the  most  common  condition  of  the  godly  :  most  of 
them  stop  at  very  low  degrees  of  grace  ;  and  it  is  no  easy  thing  to 
get  them  higher. — To  bring  them  to  higher  and  stricter  opinions,  is 
easy  enough  ;  but  to  increase  their  knowledge  and  gifts,  is  not  easy ; 
and  to  increase  their  graces  is  the  hardesjt  of  all. 

A  state  of  weakness  in  grace  is  of  very  bad  consequence. — It 
abates  consolation  and  delight  in  God,  and  makes  persons  less  ser- 
viceable to  God  and  man.  They  dishonour  the  gospel  ;  they  do  but 
little  good  to  any  about  them,  or  to  themselves.  And  as  they  live  to 
but  little  profit,  they  are  unwilling,  and  too  unfit  to  die.  How  dili- 
gent then  should  ministers  be,  to  cherish  and  increase  the  graces  of 
God's  people  !  The  strength  of  christians  is  the  honour  of  the  church. 
When  men  are  inflamed  with  the  love  of  God  ;  live  by  a  lively,  op- 
erative faith  ;  set  light  by  the  profits  and  honours  of  the  world  ;  "  love 
one  another  with  a  pure  heart  fervently  ;"  can  bear,  and  heartily  for- 
give a  wrong  ;  "suffer  joyfully"  for  the  cause  of  Christ ;  walk  inoffen- 
sively in  the  world ;  study  to  do  good,  willing  "  to  be  the  servants  of 
all  for  their  good,  becoming  all  things  to  all  men  that  they  may  win 
them  ;"  yet  "  abstaining  from  the  appearance  of  evil ;"  and  seasoning 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  307 

all  their  actions  with  a  sweet  mixture  of  prudence,  humility,  zeal,  and 
heavenly  spirituality  ; — O  what  an  honour  are  they  to  their  profession  I 
what  ornaments  to  the  church  !  how  excellently  serviceable  to  God 
and  man  !  The  world  would  sooner  believe  that  the  gospel  is  indeed 
a  work  of  truth  and  power,  if  they  could  see  more  of  these  effects  of 
it  upon  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men.  They  arc  better  able  to  read 
the  nature  of  a  man's  religion  in  his  life  than  in  the  bible.  Those 
that  "obey  not  the  word,  may  be  won  by  the  conversation"  (1  Pet. 
iii.  I.)  of  such  as  these.  It  is  therefore  a  necessary  part  of  our  work, 
to  labour  after  the  polishing  and  "  perfecting  of  the  saints,"  that  they 
may  "  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  fitted  for  their  Master's  use." 

2.  Another  sort  of  converts,  who  need  our  assistance,  are  such  as 
labour  under  some  particular  distemper,  or  such  as  are  often  over- 
come by  some  particular  lust,  which  keeps  their  graces  under,  and 
makes  them  temptations  or  troubles  to  others,  and  burdens  to  them- 
selves. 

Alas  !  there  are  too  many  such  persons  as  these.  Some  are  es- 
pecially addicted  to  pride ;  some  to  vvorldliness  ;  some  to  this  or  that 
sensual  desire  ;  and  many  to  sudden  anger  or  violent  passions. — Now 
it  is  our  duty  to  give  our  assistance  to  all  these.  We  should  labour, 
by  dissuasions  and  clear  discoveries  of  the  odiousness  of  their  sin,  and 
by  suitable  directions  about  the  way  of  remedy,  to  help  them  to  a  ful- 
ler conquest  of  their  corruptions.  We  are  the  leaders  of  Christ's  ar- 
my against  the  "  powers  of  darkness,"  and  we  must  resist  all  the 
"  works  of  darkness,"  wherever  we  find  them,  though  it  be  in  "  the 
children  of  light."  We  must  be  no  more  tender  of  the  sins  of  the  god- 
ly, than  of  the  ungodly  ;  nor  ought  we  any  more  to  befriend  or  favour 
them.  In  proportion  as  we  love  their  persons  above  others,  should 
we  express  it  by  opposing  their  sins. — We  must  expect  to  meet  with 
some  tender  persons  among  them,  (especially  when  iniquity  has  got 
to  any  head,  and  many  have  indulged  it,)  who  will  be  as  pettish,  and 
as  impatient  of  reproof,  as  some  worse  men  ;  nay,  they  will  interest 
piety  itself  with  their  faults,  and  say  that  a  minister  who  preaches 
against  them,  preaches  against  the  godly.  But  the  servants  of  Christ 
must  do  their  duty,  notwithstanding  men's  peevishness,  and  must  not 
so  far  "  hate  their  brother,"  (Lev.  xix.  17.)  as  to  forbear  the  plain  re- 
buking of  him,  and  "  suffer  sin  to  lie  upon  his  soul." 

3.  Another  sort  of  persons  who  require  our  regard,  are  declinino 
CHRISTIANS,  who  are  either  fallen  into  some  scandalous  sin,  or  who 
have  abated  their  zeal  and  diligence,  and  discover  that  they  have  '*  lost 
their  former  love." 


308  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

As  the  case  of  backsliders  is  very  sad,  our  diligence  must  be  great 
for  their  recovery.     It  is  sad  to  themselves,  to  have  lost  so  much  of 
their  life  and  peace  and  usefulness  ;  and  to  have   become  so  service- 
able to  Satan  and  his  cause.    It  is  sad  to  us,  to  see  that  all  our  labour 
is  come  to  this  ; — that  when  we  have  taken  so  much  pains  with  men, 
and  have  entertained  such  hopes  concerning  them,  all   should   be  so 
far  frustrated.     It  is  saddest  of  all,  to   think  that  God   should   be  so 
abused  by  those  whom  he  hath  so  loved,  and  for  whom  he  has  done  so 
much  ;  that  the  enemy  should   have  obtained  such  an  advantage  over 
their  graces ;  and  that  Christ  should  be  so  "  wounded   in   the  house 
of  his  friends  ;" — that  the  name   of  God  should   be   evil   spoken  of 
through  them,  and  that  those  who  fear   him  should  be  reproached   for 
their  sakes. — Besides,  tlie  condition  of  such  persons  is  deplorable,  as 
a  partial  back-sliding   has   a  tendency   towards  a  total   apostacy,  and 
would  end  in  it,  if  special  grace  were   not   to  prevent  it. — The  worse 
the  condition  of  such  christians  is,   the  more   lies   upon  us   for  their 
effectual   recovery.     We  should  "  restore   those   that   are  overtaken 
with  a  fault,  in  the  spirit  of  meekness  ;"  (Gal.  vi.  1.)  and  yet  see  to  it, 
that  the  sore  be  thoroughly  searched  and   healed,  what   pain  soever  it 
cost.     We  should  especially  look  to  the  honour  of  the  gospel,  and  see 
that  such  persons  rise  by  such  free  and  full   confessions,  and   by  such 
expressions  of  true  repentance,  that   some  reparation   may  be  made  to 
the  church   and   their   holy  profession,  for   the   wound  of  dishonour 
they  have  given  both,    by  their  sin.        Much  skill  is  required  to  the 
restoring  of  such  souls. 

4.  Much  of  our  assistance  is  necessary  for  such  of  our  people  as 
have  fallen  under  some  great  temptation. 

Every  minister,  therefore,  should  have  much  insight  into  "  Satan's 
wiles."  We,  of  all  persons,  should  "  not  be  ignorant  of  his  devices." 
We  should  be  acquainted  with  the  great  variety  of  them  ;  with  the 
cunning  craft  of  his  instruments,  "  who  lie  in  wait  to  deceive,"  and 
with  all  the  methods  used  by  the  grand  deceiver.—  Some  of  our  peo- 
ple lie  under  temptations  to  errour  ;  especially  the  young,  the  unset- 
tled, the  self-conceited,  and  such  as  are  most  conversant  with  seduc- 
ers. Young,  raw,  ungrounded  christians,  are  commonly  of  their 
mind  who  have  most  interest  in  their  esteem,  and  most  opportunity  of 
familiar  conversation  to  draw  them  into  their  way.  And  as  they  are 
tinder,  erroneous  persons  want  not  the  sparks  of  zeal  to  set  them  on 
fire.  A  zeal  for  errour  and  opinions  of  our  ow^n  is  natural ;  it  is  ea- 
sily kindled  and  kept  alive ;  though  it  is  far  otherwise  with  a  spirit- 
ual zeal  for  God.     How  much  prudence  and  industry  then  is  neces- 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  309 

sary  for  a  pastor,  to  preserve  the  flock  from  being  corrupted  with  nox- 
ious conceits  ;  and  especially  such  as  lie  under  peculiar  temptations 
to  it ! — Others  are  under  temptations  to  worldly-mindedness  ;  others 
to  intemperance  ;  others  to  lust ; — some  to  one  sin,  and  some  to  anoth- 
er. A  faithful  pastor,  therefore,  should  have  his  eye  upon  all  his 
flock  ;  should  labour  to  be  acquainted  with  their  natural  dispositions  ; 
with  their  business  in  the  world  ;  with  the  company  they  live  in,  or 
are  most  conversant  with  ;  that  so  he  may  know  where  their  tempta- 
tions lie,  and  endeavour  speedily,  prudently,  and  diligently  to  help 
them,  both  by  his  public  preaching  and  private  discourse. 

5.  Another  branch  of  our  ministerial  work,  is  to  comfort  the  dis- 
consolate ;  and  to  settle  the  peace  of  our  people's  souls,  on  sure  and 
lasting  grounds. 

To  which  end,  the  quality  of  their  complaints,  and  the  course  of 
their  lives  had  need  to  be  known  ;  for  all  persons  must  not  have  the 
same  consolations,  who  have  the  same  complaints.* 

6.  Another  part  of  our  work  with  regard   to  real   christians,  re- 
spects those  who  are  strong  and  lively. 

They  have  need  of  our  assistance,  partly  to  prevent  their  tempta- 
tions and  declensions,  or  to  preserve  the  grace  they  have  ;  partly 
to  help  them  to  a  further  progress  and  increase  ;  and  partly  to  direct 
them  in  the  improvement  of  their  graces  for  the  service  of  Christ  and 
the  assistance  of  their  brethren  :  as  also  to  encourage  them  (espe- 
cially the  aged,  the  tempted,  and  the  afilicted)  to  persevere,  that  they 
"  may  receive  their  crown." 

III.  Those  whose  characters  are  doubtful,  are  also  to  be  regard- 
ed both  in  our  public  and  private  discourses. 

There  are  some  of  our  flock,  who  by  a  professed  willingness  to 
learn  and  obey,  make  it  probable  that  they  may  have  true  repentance 
and  faith,  who  yet,  by  their  ignorance,  or  lukewarmness,  or  by  some 
uneven  walking,  will  occasion  us  fears  as  great  as,  or  greater  than 
our  hopes,  with  regard  to  their  present  safety.  We  may  see  occasion 
to  doubt  the  worst,  though  we  have  not  ground  to  charge  them  with 
being  unconverted  and  impenitent  persons.  I  think  half  that  come 
to  me  are  of  this  sort,  among  whom  I  almost  dare  pronounce  ten  to 
one  to  be  unregenerate. 

Now  it  may  put  some  younger  ministers  to  a  difficulty  to  know 


*  The  author  tells  us,  that  the  reason  of  his  brevity  on  this  head,  was,  that 
he  had  particularly  treated  of  it  in  his  other  works,  (See  Vol.  I.  p.  281  and 
477,  &c.  See  also  his  "  Directions  for  spiritual  comfort,"  Vol.  II.  p.  846,  &:c.) 
— and  that  this  subject  has  been  considered  at  large  by  several  other  authors, 
particularly  by  Mr,  Bolton,  in  his  "  Instructions  for  right  comforting." 


310  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

what  they  should  do  with  this  sort  of  people,  where  they  have  no  suf- 
ficient ground  to  pronounce  them  godly  or  ungodly,  whatever  tiieir 
fears  or  hopes  may  be. — I  would  advise  you  to  be  very  cautious  how 
you  pass  too  hasty  or  absolute  censures  on  any  that  you  have  to  do 
with  ;  because  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  discern  that  a  man  is  cer- 
tainly graceless,  who  professes  to  be  a  christian.  Besides,  we  may 
discharge  our  duty  with  regard  to  such  persons,  without  an  absolute 
conclusion  concerning  their  real  characters.  With  regard  to  such, 
let  the  following  hints  suffice. 

Keep  them  close  to  the  use  of  public  and  private  means. — Be  of- 
ten with  the  lukewarm  and  careless,  to  admonish  and  awaken  them  : 
for  this  purpose  take  the  opportunities  of  sickness,  which  will  bow 
their  hearts  and  open  their  ears. — See  that  they  spend  the  Lord's  day, 
and  order  their  fimilies,  aright. — Draw  them  off  from  the  temptations 
to,  and  occasions  of  sin. — Charge  them  to  come  to  you  for  help  when 
their  minds  are  distressed,  to  open  to  you  their  temptations  and  dan- 
gers, before  they  are  swallowed  up  by  them. — In  your  preaching,  and 
your  discourse  with  them,  strike  at  the  great  radical  sins ;  self-seek- 
ing, carnality,  sensuality,  pride,  worldly-mindness,  infidelity,  &c. — 
Press  them  to  reading  the  scriptures,  and  other  good  books  ;  and  di- 
rect them  to  such  as  are  most  likely  to  awaken  them. — Engage  their 
godly  neighbours  to  have  an  eye  over  them. — Keep  up  discipline  in 
the  church,  to  awe  them. — But  especially  maintain  the  life  of  grace  in 
your  own  souls,  that  it  may  so  appear  to  them  in  all  your  sermons,  that 
every  one  who  comes  cold  to  the  assembly,  may  have  his  mind  pro- 
perly affected  before  he  departs. 

[Thus  have  we  given  some  directions  for  discharging  our  minis- 
terial duty  with  regard  to  the  unconverted, — to  real  converts  of  vari- 
ous classes, — and  to  those  whose  characters  are  doubtful.  But  there 
is  another  sort  of  men,  whom  we  may  probably  meet  with,  in  regard 
to  whom  it  may  be  proper  in  this  chapter,  to  give  a  kw  hints  of  ad- 
vice :]  That  is, 

IV.  Opiniateu  persons,  who  being  tainted  with  pride  and  self- 
conceit,  are  more  ready  to  teach,  than  to  be  taught ; — who  rather 
than  receive  instruction  from  you,  will  quarrel  with  you,  as  ignorant 
or  erroneous. 

The  preservation  of  the  unity  and  peace  of  your  congregations, 
doth  very  much  depend  on  your  right  dealing  with  such  persons  as 
these.  [ — In  order  to  cure  them  of  their  conceits,  and  to  prevent 
others  from  being  infected  with  them,  take  the  following  directions.] 

1.  If  any  such  person  should  fall  in  your  way  in  any  of  your  pri- 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  311 

vate  conferences  with  your  people,  and  by  his  impertinence  should 
strive  to  divert  you  from  better  discourse,  tell  him  that  the  meeting 
was  appointed  for  another  use,  and  that  you  think  it  improper  to  per- 
vert it  from  that. — However,  let  him  know,  that  you  do  not  say  this  to 
avoid  any  trial  of  the  truth,  but  that  you  will,  at  any  other  time,  give 
him  satisfaction,  or  receive  instruction  from  him. 

2.  When  you  meet  him  with  such  an  intent,  ask  him  such  ques- 
tions as  appear  to  be  of  great  importance,  but  take  care  to  throw 
some  difficulty  in  his  way,  and  be  sure  to  keep  the  predicate  out  of 
your  questions :  put  him  most  upon  defining  or  distinguishing.* — If 
he  discover  his  ignorance  in  the  case  proposed,  endeavour  to  humble 
him  under  a  sense  of  his  pride  and  presumption,  in  going  about  with 
a  teaching,  contentious  behaviour,  while  he  is  so  ignorant  in  things 
of  very  great  moment.  At  the  same  time,  see  to  it  that  you  are  able 
to  give  him  information  with  regard  to  those  points,  wherein  you  find 
him  ignorant. 

3.  Take  care  to  discern  the  spirit  of  the  man. — If  he  be  a  settled, 
perverse  schismatic,  quite  transported  with  pride,  humble  him  as 
much  as  you  can  before  other  persons.  But  if  you  find  him  godly, 
and  there  is  hope  of  his  restoration,  only  do  this  in  a  private  manner. 
Do  not  let  fall  any  bitter  words  that  would  tend  to  his  disparagement. 
We  must  always  be  as  tender  of  the  reputation  of  good  men,  as  our 
fidelity  to  them  and  the  truth  will  permit.  We  must  "  restore  such 
with  the  spirit  of  meekness."  (Gal.  vi.  1.)  There  is  little  hope  of  do- 
ing them  any  good,  if  you  once  exasperate  them,  and  disaffect  them 
towards  you. 

4.  If  you  come  to  debate  any  controversy  with  such  persons,  tell 
them,  that  seeing  they  think  themselves  able  to  teach  you,  it  is  your 
desire  to  learn. — When  they  have  spoken  their  minds  to  you  in  their 
dictatorial  manner,  let  them  know,  that  they  hare  said  nothing  NE\r 
to  you  ;  that  you  had  considered  of  it  all  before,  and  that  if  you  had 
seen  divine  evidence  for  it,  you  had  received  it  long  ago  :  that  you 
are  truly  willing  to  receive  all  truth,  but  that  you  have  far  better  ev- 
idence for  the  doctrines  you  have  embraced,  than  they  have  for  the 
contrary.  If  they  desire  to  hear  what  your  evidence  is,  tell  them, 
that  if  they  will  hear  as  learners,  with  impartiality  and  humility,  free- 
ly entertaining  the  truth,  you  will  communicate  your  evidence  to  them 
in  the  best  manner  you  can. — When  you  have  brought  any  such  per- 
son to  this,  first  shew  him  your  reasons  against  the  grossest  imperfec- 

*  The  author  produces  a  number  of  such  questions  (Chap.  viii.  i  ].)  which 
it  was  judged  unneceseary  here  to  retain. 


312  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

tions  of  his  own  discourse,  and  then  give  him  a  few  of  the  clearest  texts 
of  scripture  in  support  of  your  sentiments. — When  you  have  done, 
give  him  some  book  that  best  defends  the  truth  in  question  ;  desire 
him  to  peruse  it  carefully,  and  to  bring  you  a  sober,  solid  answer  to  it, 
if,  after  the  perusal,  he  judge  it  to  be  unsound.  And,  if  you  can, 
fasten  some  one  of  the  most  striking  evidences  on  him,  before  you 
leave  him. — If  he  refuse  to  read  the  book,  endeavour  to  convince  him 
of  his  unfaithfulness  to  the  truth,  and  his  own  soul. 

But  above  all,  before  you  part,  sum  up  the  truths  wherein  you  are 
both  AGREED.  Ask  such  a  person,  whether  he  suppose  that  you  may 
obtain  salvation  if  you  live  according  to  your  faith  1  And,  if  he  will 
allow  that  you  may, — whether  they  that  are  so  far  agreed  should  not 
live  in  love  and  peace,  as  children  of  the  same  God,  and  heirs  of  the 
same  kingdom  ? — whether,  notwithstanding  your  smaller  difference, 
you  are  not  bound  to  hold  communion  in  public  worship  and  church 
relation,  and  to  walk  together  in  the  fear  of  God  ?  And  whether  it 
be  not  schism  to  separate  for  the  sake  of  so  small  a  disagreement  ? 

5.  In  order  to  preserve  the  church  from  such  an  infection  it  is 
desirable,  that  the  minister  be  so  far  superiour  to  the  people,  as  to  be 
able  to  teach  them,  and  keep  them  in  awe,  and  manifest  their  weak- 
nesses to  themselves  and  others. — The  truth  is,  (a  truth  which  cannot 
be  hid)  it  is  much  owing  to  the  weakness  of  ministers,  that  our  poor 
people  run  into  so  many  factions.  When  a  proud  seducer  has  a  nimble 
tongue,  and  a  minister  is  so  dull  or  ignorant  as  to  be  confounded  by 
him  in  company,  it  brings  him  into  contempt,  and  overthrows  the 
weak,  who  judge  his  to  be  the  best  cause,  that  talks  in  the  most  con- 
fident, plausible,  and  triumphant  manner. 

6.  Endeavour  frequently  and  thoroughly  to  possess  your  people's 
minds  with  the  nature,  necessity,  and  daily  use  of  the  great  unques- 
tionable principles  of  religion,  and  of  the  great  sin  and  danger  of  a 
perverse  zeal  about  the  lower  points ;  especially  before  the  greater 
are  well  understood.  Convince  them  of  the  obligations  we  are  all 
under,  to  maintain  the  unity  and  peace  of  the  church. 

If  any  small  (but  hurtful)  controversy  should  arise,  in  order  to  di- 
vert them  from  it,  do  you  raise  a  greater,  yourself ;  which  you  have 
better  advantage  to  manage,  and  which  is  not  likely  to  make  a  divi- 
sion. Let  contentious  persons  know  that  there  are  greater  difficulties 
than  theirs,  first  to  be  resolved. — Go  and  converse  with  the  persons 
whom  you  perceive  to  be  affected  with  any  noxious  conceits,  as  soon 
as  possible.  When  a  fire  is  kindling,  resist  it  in  the  beginning,  and 
make  not  light  of  the  smallest  spark. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR,  313 

7.  Preach  to  such  auditors  as  these,  some  higher  points  wliich 
shall  be  above  their  understandings.  Feed  them  not  always  "  with 
milk,"  but  sometimes  with  "  strong  meat;"  for  it  exceedingly  puffs 
them  up  with  pride,  when  they  hear  nothing  from  ministers,  but  what 
they  already  know,  and  can  say  themselves  :  this  it  is  that  makes 
them  think  themselves  as  wise  as  you,  and  as  fit  to  be  teachers  ; 
and  it  is  this  that  hath  set  so  many  of  them  on  preaching  :  For  they 
believe  that  you  know  no  more  than  you  preach. — However,  do  not 
neglect  the  great  fundamentals  of  religion,  nor  wrong  other  persons, 
for  their  sakes. 

8.  Be  sure  to  preach  as  little  as  possible  against  such  persons  as 
these.  Never  in  a  direct  manner  oppose  their  sect  by  name,  or  any 
reproachful  titles ;  for  such  persons  are  ordinarily  exceeding  tender, 
proud,  passionate  and  rash  :  so  that  they  will  but  hate  you,  and  fly 
from  you  as  an  enemy,  and  say  that  you  rail  at  them.  Without  men- 
tioning THEM,  lay  the  grounds  clearly  and  soundly,  which  must  sub- 
vert their  errours.  If  you  are  obliged  at  any  time  to  deal  with  them 
directly,  handle  the  controversy  thoroughly,  peaceably,  and  convinc- 
ingly. Be  not  long  upon  it ;  do  not  say  all  that  can  be  said ;  but 
choose  that  which  they  can  have  the  least  pretence  to  quarrel  with, 
and  omit  what  would  require  more  trouble  to  defend. 

9.  Keep  up  private  meetings,  and  draw  these  persons  in  among 
you  :  manage  them  prudently,  and  by  this  means  you  may  keep  them 
from  such  meetings  among  themselves,  as  will  promote  divisions. 
Professors  very  commonly  will  have  private  meetings  ;  which,  if  well 
conducted,  are  of  great  use  to  their  edification ;  but  if  not,  will  be  of 
bad  consequence. 

In  the  management  of  them  for  the  present  purpose,  observe  the 
following  rules. — Be  sure  that  you  give  a  constant  attendance. — Let 
not  the  exercises  of  the  meeting  be  such  as  encourage  private  men's 
ostentation  of  their  gifts,  but  such  as  tend  to  the  edification  of  the 
people.  Do  not  let  private  men  preach  or  expound  scripture;  nor  let 
every  one  speak  to  questions  of  his  own  proposing ;  but  do  you  re- 
peat the  sermons  you  have  preached,  call  upon  God  in  prayer,  and 
sing  his  praise. — Yet  let  there  be  some  opportunity  for  the  people  to 
speak.  When  you  have  done  repeating,  give  them  liberty  to  propose 
any  difficulties  they  want  to  have  resolved  respecting  the  subject  in 
hand,  or  any  other. — If  you  perceive  any  of  them  bent  upon  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  abilities  for  ostentation,  be  not  too  severe  upon  them, 
but  mildly  let  them  know,  that  it  is  for  their  good  and  the  edification 
of  the  church,  that  you  oppose  it.  However, 
40 


JJ14  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

10.  Make  use  of  your  people's  gifts  to  the  uttermost,  as  your 
helpers,  in  their  proper  places,  in  an  ordinary  way,  and  under  your 
guidance.  This  may  prevent  them  from  using  them  in  a  disorderly 
way,  in  opposition  to  you.  It  has  been  a  great  cause  of  schism,  that 
ministers  have  contemptuously  refused  to  make  use  of  private  men's 
gifts  for  their  assistance,  and  thrust  them  too  far  from  holy  things.  The 
good  work  is  likely  to  go  on  but  poorly,  if  none  but  ministers  are  em- 
ployed in  it.  By  a  prudent  improvement  of  the  gifts  of  the  more  able 
christians  (none  of  which  God  gave  to  be  buried,  but  for  common  use) 
we  may  receive  much  help  from  them,  and  prevent  their  abuse,  as 
lawful  marriage  prevents  fornication. 

You  may  use  the  gifts  of  your  people  for  several  purposes :  e.  g. 
urge  them  to  be  diligent  in  teaching,  catechising,  and  praying  with 
their  own  families. — Recommend  it  to  them  to  step  out  now  and  then, 
to  their  ignorant  neighbours,  to  catechise  and  instruct  them,  in  meek- 
ness and  patience.  Desire  them  to  go  often  to  impenitent  and  scan- 
dalous sinners,  and  endeavour,  with  all  possible  skill  and  earnestness, 
yet  also  with  love  and  patience,  to  reform,  convert,  and  save  their 
souls. — Acquaint  them  with  their  duty  of  watching  over  each  other 
"in  brotherly  love;"  of  "  admonishing  and  exhorting  one  another 
daily;"  if  any  of  them  walk  disorderly,  to  reprove  them,  and  if  they 
prevail  not,  "  to  tell  the  officers  of  the  church,"  that  they  may  be  fur- 
ther dealt  with,  as  Christ  has  appointed. — At  your  private  meetings, 
employ  them  in  prayer. — In  some  cases,  send  them  to  visit  particular 
persons  in  your  stead,  when  you  are  prevented  from  going. — Let  some 
of  them  be  chosen  to  represent,  and  be  agents  for  the  church,  in  af- 
fairs of  importance  relating  to  it.  Let  such  as  are  fit,  be  made  sub- 
servient officers,  I  mean  Deacons,  that  they  may  afford  you  help  in  a 
regular  way  ;  and  then  they  will,  by  their  relation,  discern  themselves 
obliged  to  maintain  the  unity  of  the  church,  and  the  authority  of  the 
ministry.  But  be  sure  that  they  be  men  competently  qualified  for  the 
office. 

I  am  persuaded,  if  ministers  had  thus  used  the  abilities  of  their 
ablest  members,  they  might  have  prevented  much  of  the  division,  dis- 
traction, and  apostasy,  that  have  befallen  us  ;  for  they  would  then 
have  found  work  enough  upon  their  hands,  for  higher  parts  than 
theirs,  without  invading  the  ministry;  and  would  have  seen  cause  to 
bewail  the  inequality  of  their  abilities,  to  the  work  which  belonged  to 
them.  Experience  would  have  convinced  and  humbled  them  more 
than  our  words  will  do. 

11.  Still  keep  up  christian  love  and   familiarity  even  with  those 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  i}15 

that  have  begun  to  warp  and  make  defection  :  lose  not  your  interest 
in  them  while  you  have  any  thoughts  of  attempting  their  recovery. 

If  they  withdraw  into  separate  meetings,  follow  them,  and  enter 
into  a  mild  debate  as  to  the  lawfulness  of  it.  Tell  them  that  you  have 
a  mind  to  hear  what  they  have  to  say,  and  to  be  among  them  for  their 
good,  if  they  will  give  you  leave,  for  fear  they  should  run  to  further 
evil.  You  will  thereby  prevent  much  reviling,  and  the  venting  of 
further  errours,  and  by  a  moderate,  gentle  opposition  of  them,  may  in 
time  convince  them  of  their  folly  :  and  by  this  means,  if  any  seduc- 
ers come  from  abroad  to  confirm  them,  you  will  be  ready  to  oppose 
them,  and  so  you  will  at  least  do  much  to  prevent  the  increase  of 
their  party. 

Ministers  themselves  have  occasioned  many  of  the  divisions  in 
England,  by  contemning  those  that  have  withdrawn  into  separate 
meetings  ;  by  talking  against  them,  and  by  reproving  them  in  the 
pulpit ;  while  they  have  been  entire  strangers  to  them,  or  have  shun- 
ned their  company,  and  in  the  mean  time  have  given  seducers  an  op- 
portunity to  be  familiar  with  them,  and  to  do  what  they  pleased  with 
them  without  contradiction. — Oh  that  ministers  had  been  less  guilty 
of  the  errours  and  schisms  that  they  talk  against !  But  it  is  easier  to 
chide  sectaries  in  the  pulpit,  and  subscribe  a  testimony  against  them, 
than  to  play  the  skilful  physician  for  their  cure,  or  to  do  the  tenth 
part  of  our  duty  to  prevent  or  heal  their  disorders.  I  am  not  finding 
fault  with  prudent  reprehensions  of,  or  testimonies  against  them  in 
public  :  but  I  think  too  many  of  us  have  cause  to  fear,  lest  we  do  but 
publicly  proclaim  our  own  shame,  by  our  negligence  or  weakness; 
and  lest,  in  condemning,  and  testifying  against  them,  we  testify 
against,  and  condemn  ourselves. 

12.  In  order  to  preserve  your  church  from  divisions,  and  to  keep 
your  people  from  running  after  irregular,  libertine  preachers,  be  sure 
that  you  never  let  these  authors  of  schism  outdo  you  in  any  thing 
that  is  good. 

As  truth  should  be  more  effectual  for  sanctification  than  errour,  if 
you  give  them  this  advantage,  you  give  them  the  day,  and  all 
your  disputations  will  do  but  little  good.  Weak  people  judge  all 
by  the  outward  appearance,  and  by  the  effects,  not  being  able  to 
judge  of  the  doctrine  itself:  they  think  he  has  the  best  cause,  whom 
they  take  to  be  the  best  man. — I  extend  this  rule  both  to  doctrine 
and  to  life.  e.  g.  If  a  libertine  preach  free  grace,  do  you  preach 
it  up  more  effectually  than  he :  be  much  upon  it,  and  make  it  more 
glorious,  on  right  grounds,  than    he  can  do  on  his  wrong.     If  on 


316  THE  REFOaMED  PASTOR. 

the  like  pretence  he  magnify  the  grace  of  love,  do  not  contradict  him 
in  the  affirmative,  only  in  the  negative,  and  destructive,  part :  but  go 
beyond  him,  and  preach  up  the  love  of  God,  with  its  motives  and  ef- 
fects, more  fully  and  effectually  than  he  can  do,  on  the  corrupt 
grounds  on  which  he  proceeds  :  or  else  you  will  make  all  the  silly 
people  believe,  that  the  difference  between  you  and  him  is,  that  he  is 
for  free  grace,  and  for  the  love  of  God,  and  that  you  are  against  both. 
So  if  an  enthusiast  talks  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  light  and  witness 
and  law  within  us,  do  you  fall  upon  that  subject  too,  and  do  that  well 
which  he  does  ill ;  preach  up  the  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  his  in- 
dwelling and  operations  ;  the  light  and  testimony  and  law  within  us, 
better  than  he  does. — You  must  dwell  upon  these  things  in  your 
preaching,  as  well  as  he  ;  for  the  people  will  take  no  notice  of  a  short 
concession.  I  might  mention  many  more  instances  to  this  purpose, 
but  these  will  be  sufficient  to  shew  what  I  mean  :  the  sum  of  which 
is,  that  preaching  truth  is  the  most  successful  way  of  confuting  er- 
rour.     Further, 

We  should  be  careful  that  seducers  do  not  excel  us  in  the  prac- 
tice of  religious  duties,  any  more  than  in  defending  any  sacred 
truths. 

Do  any  of  them  express  a  hatred  of  sin,  and  a  desire  of  church- 
reformation  ?  We  should  much  more. — Do  they,  when  they  meet 
together,  spend  their  time  in  religious  discourse,  instead  of  vain  jang- 
ling 1  Let  us  do  so  much  more. — Are  they  unwearied  in  propaga- 
ting their  opinions  ?  Let  us  be  much  more  diligent  in  propagating 
the  truth. — Will  they  condescend  to  the  meanest,  and  "  creep  into 
houses  to  lead  captive  the  silliest"  of  the  flock  ?  Let  us  stoop  as  low, 
and  be  as  diligent,  to  do  them  good. — Are  they  loving  to  their  party  and 
contemners  of  the  world  1  Let  us  be  lovers  of  all  :  especially  of  all 
the  saints.  Let  us  "  do  good  to  all,  especially  to  those  of  the  house- 
hold of  faith."  Let  us  love  an  enemy  as  well  as  they  can  do  a  friend. 
Let  us  be  more  just  than  they  ;  more  merciful  than  they  ;  more  hum- 
ble, meek,  and  patient  than  they  ;  "  for  this  is  the  will  of  God,  that  by 
WELL-DOING,  we  put  to  silcuce  the  iguorauce  of  foolish  men."  (1  Pet. 
ii.  15.)  There  is  no  virtue  wherein  your  example  will  do  more  to  abate 
men's  prejudices,  than  humility,  meekness,  and  self-denial.  Forgive 
injuries,  and  "  be  not  overcome  of  evil,  but  overcome  evil  with  good." 
Imitate  our  blessed  Lord,  "  who  when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not 
again."  Take  not  up  carnal  weapons  against  your  enemies  (further 
than  self-preservation  or  the  public  good  requireth  it,)  but  overcome 
them  with  kindness,  patience,  and  gentleness.     If  you  believe  that 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  317 

Christ  was  more  imitable  than  Caesar  or  Alexander,  and  that  it  is 
more  glorious  to  be  a  christian  than  a  conqueror,  or  to  be  a  man  than  a 
beast,  contend  with  charity  and  not  with  violence.  Do  not  set  force 
against  force  ;  but  meekness,  love,  and  patience.  If  we  thus  excel 
these  men  in  a  holy,  harmless,  righteous,  merciful,  fruitful,  and  heav- 
enly life,  as  well  as  in  soundness  of  doctrine,  "  by  our  fruits  we  shall 
be  known  ;"  and  the  weaker  sort  of  people  will  see  the  truth,  in  this 
reflection  of  it,  who  cannot  see  it  in  itself  Then  our  "  light  will  so 
ehine  before  men,  that  they  may  be  led  to  glorify  our  father  who  is  in 
heaven  :"  and  even  "  they  that  obey  not  the  word,  may,  without  the 
word,  be  won  by  the  conversation"  (1  Pet.  iii.  1,  2.)  of  their  teachers. 
Oh  how  happy  had  England  been  ;  how  happy  had  all  the 
churches  been,  if  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  had  taken  these  courses! 
This  would  have  done  more  against  errour  and  schism,  4han  all  our 
exclaiming  against  them  hath  done,  or  than  all  the  force  of  the  ma- 
gistrate can  do. 


€HAP.  IF. 

Op  Catechising  :*  with  particular  directions  in  reference 

TO  it. 

[Having  treated  of  private  and  personal  instruction,  we  proceed 
to  recommend  one  very  excellent  and  useful  method  of  conducting  it, 
viz.  by  Catechising.] — For  the  better  management  of  this  work,  the 
following  directions  may  be  of  service : — they  are  of  two  kinds,  viz. 
for  bringing  your  people  to  comply  with  your  design, — and  for  execut- 
ing it  in  the  most  acceptable  and  useful  manner. 

I.  In  order  to  bring  those  persons  to  comply  with  this  method  of 
instruction,  [whom  you  think  proper,  thus  to  instruct,] 

It  will  be  a  matter  of  vast  importance  to  behave  yourselves,  through 
the  main  course  of  your  ministry,  in  such  a  manner  as  may  convince 
them  of  your  ability,  and  your  unfeigned  love  to  them.     When  peo- 

*  By  Catechising,  the  author  plainly  meant,  not  only  hvaring^  persons  re- 
peat, and  expounding  to  them,  A  Form  of  words  containing  the  grand  and 
common  principles  of  religion  ;  but  proposing  to  them  familiar  questions  of  ol'r 
OWN,  in  order  the  better  to  judge  of  their  knowledge  and  dispositions,  and  to 
be  the  more  capable  of  suiting  our  instructions  and  admonitions  to  them.  And 
this  method  he  recommends  to  be  used  not  only  with  respect  to  children,  bu^ 
those  who  are  come  to  years  of  maturity. 


318  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

pie  are  convinced  tliat  a  minister  is  qualified  for  his  work,  and  intends 
no  private  ends  of  his  own,  hut  merely  their  good,  they  will  more 
readily  stoop  to  his  advice,  and  be  persuaded  by  him. 

Supposing  this  general  preparation,  the  next  thing  to  be  done  is, 
to  convince  your  people  of  the  benefit  and  necessity  of  this  method  of 
instruction,  for  the  good  of  their  souls. — In  order  to  this,  it  will  be  prop- 
er to  preach  some  plain  and  serious  sermons  to  show  the  benefit  and 
necessity  of  an  acquaintance  with  divine  truths  in  general,  particular- 
ly the  great  principles  of  religion  ;  and  that  persons  advanced  in 
life  have  equal  need  to  be  instructed  in  them  with  others,  and  in  some 
respects  greater. — Make  them  understand  that  this  is  not  an  arbitrary 
business  of  your  devising  or  imposing,  but  that  "  necessity  is  laid  up- 
on you"  to  look  to  every  member  of  your  flock,  according  to  your 
ability,  and  that  if  you  neglect  to  do  it,  they  may  "  perish  in  their  in- 
iquities, and  their  blood  be  required  at  your  hands." — When  this  is 
done,  furnish  every  family  with  a  catechism  [where  you  apprehend 
they  need  it]  or  see  that  they  furnish  themselves. — Take  a  catalogue 
of  the  names  of  all  those  whom  you  intend  thus  to  instruct,  thai  you 
may  know  whom  to  expect,  and  who  fail  to  give  their  attendance. — 
Deal  very  gently  with  them,  and  take  off  all  discouragements  as  ef- 
fectually as  you  can.  Do  not  insist  upon  every  person's  committing 
the  catechism  to  memory  ;  but,  where  they  labour  under  peculiar 
difficulties,  only  exhort  them  to  read  it  often,  and  get  the  substance  of 
it  into  their  minds  and  hearts. — If  any  persons  will  not  submit  to  be 
thus  instructed  by  you,  go  to  them  and  expostulate  the  matter  with 
them  ;  know  what  their  reasons  are  ;  and  convince  them  of  the  sin- 
fulness and  danger  of  contemning  the  help  that  is  offered  them. — 
Souls  are  so  precious,  that  we  should  not  lose  one  for  want  of  labour ; 
but  should  follow  them  while  there  is  any  hope,  and  not  give  them  up 
as  desperate,  till  there  be  no  remedy.* 

II.  Having  brought  your  people  to  comply  with  this  kind  of  in- 

* — "  Ignorant  souls  (says  Mr.  Gurnai.)  feel  no  such  smart  as  to  put  them 
upon  inquiring-  for  a  physician.  If  the  minister  stay  till  they  send  for  him  to 
instruct  them,  he  may  sooner  hear  the  bell  g-o  for  them  than  any  messeng-er 
come  for  him.  You  must  seek  them  out,  and  not  expect  that  they  ■will  come 
to  you.  These  are  a  sort  of  people  that  are  more  afraid  of  their  remedy  thaa 
their  disease,  and  study  more  to  hide  th(  ir  ignorance  than  to  have  it  cured  : 
it  should  make  us  pity  them  the  more  because  fh(  y  can  pity  themselves  so  lit- 
tle  It  is  an  unhapjnness  to  some  of  us,  wh(i  have  to  do  with  a  mul- 
titude, that  we  cannot  attend  on  them,  as  their  needs  require  .  .  .  but  let  us 
look  to  it,  that  though  we  cannot   do   what   we    should,  we   be  not  wanting  in 

what  we  may.'' Gurnai/s  Christian  Armour,  p.   235,  quoted  by  the   au- 

thor  at  the  end  of  his  preface.     (Fifth  Edition  fol.  p.  89.)  Th^   whole  passage 
fs  worth  reading. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  319 

struction,  the  next  thing  to  be  considered  is,  how  you  should  deal  the 
most  effectually  with  them  in  the  work. 

And  I  must  say  that  I  think  it  is  a  much  easier  matter  to  compose 
and  preach  a  good  sermon,  than  to  deal  rightly  with  an  ignorant  man 
for  his  instruction  in  the  principles  of  religion.  This  work  will  try 
the  abilities  and  tempers  of  ministers  :  it  will  show  the  difference  be- 
tween one  man  and  another,  more  than  pulpit-preaching  can  do. 
Good  bishop  Usher  observes,  "  As  the  laying  of  the  foundation  skil- 
fiilly,  is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the  whole  building,  so 
it  is  the  very  master-piece  of  the  wisest  builder.  Thus  the  apostle 
Paul  conceived  of  it  when  he  said,  'According  to  the  grace  of  God 
given  to  me,  as  a  wise  master  builder,  I  laid  the  foundation.'  (I  Cor. 
iii.  10.)  The  neglect  of  this,  is  the  frustrating  the  whole  work  of  the 
ministry." — The  directions  which  I  think  should  be  observed  in  man- 
aging this  work,  are  the  following. 

1.  When  your  people,  one  family  or  more,  come  to  you,  (which 
perhaps  it  will  be  the  best  for  them  to  do,*)  begin  your  work  with  a 
short  preface  to  remove  all  discouragements,  and  to  prepare  them  for 
yoar  instructions,  e.  g.  "  It  may  perhaps  appear  to  some  of  you  (my 
friends)  an  uncommon  and  troublesome  business,  which  I  now  put 
you  upon  :  but  I  hope  you  will  not  think  it  needless.  Had  I  thought 
so,  I  should  have  saved  you  and  myself  this  labour.  But  God  has 
told  me  in  his  word,  how  great  a  thing  it  is  to  have  the  charge  of 
souls,  and  that  '  the  blood  of  them  that  perish  will  be  required  at  the 
hands'  of  such  ministers  as  neglect  them ;  so  that  my  conscience  will 
not  suffer  me  to  be  so  guilty  of  such  a  neglect,  as  I  have  been.  The 
Lord  only  knows  now  long  you  and  I  may  be  together  ;  it  therefore 
concerns  me  to  do  what  I  can  for  your  salvation,  and  my  own,  before  I 
leave  you  and  the  world.  I  hope  you  will  be  glad  of  help  in  so  need- 
ful a  work,  and  not  think  much  of  it  that  I  put  you  to  this  trouble, 
when  even  the  trifles  of  the  world  cannot  be  gotten  without  much 
greater." 

2.  In  general,  take  each  person  alone,  and  discourse  with  him  out 
of  the  hearing  of  the  rest ;  for  some  do  not  like  to  be  questioned  be- 
fore others,  and  cannot  answer  you  with  freedom.  However,  let  none 
be  present  but  those  of  the  same  family,  or  those  with  whom  they  are 
familiar.     I  find  by  experience  that,  in  general,  people  will  bear  plain 


*  Mr.  Baxter,  in  his  preface,  tells  us  what  was  his  method  :  "  At  the 
delivery  of  the  catechisms  (says  he)  I  take  a  catalogue  of  all  the  persons  of 
understanding  in  the  parish  ;  the  clerk  goes  a  week  before  hand  to  every  fam- 
ily to  tell  them  when  to  come,  and  at  what  hour :  e.  g.  one  family  at  eight 
o'clock,  the  next  at  nine,  the  next  at  ten,  &;c." 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOK. 

and  close  dealing  about  their  sin,  their  misery  and  their  duty,  when 
you  have  them  alone,  better  than  when  others  are  present. 

3.  As  for  those  that  commit  a  catechism  to  memory,  it  may  be 
proper  at  the  beginning  of  these  exercises,  to  take  an  account  of  what 
they  have  learned,  and  to  hear  them  repeat  the  answers  to  each  ques- 
tion. 

4.  When  you  form  questions  of  your  own  to  propose  to  them,  be 
careful  of  the  following  things. — Let  them  be  such  as  they  may  per- 
ceive to  be  of  great  importance,  and  of  the  nearest  concernment  to 
themselves : — e.  g.  "  What  do  you  think  becomes  of  men  when  they 
die  ? — Do  you  believe  that  you  have  sinned  1 — What  doth  sin  de- 
serve 1 — What  remedy  hath  God  provided  for  saving  sinful  and  mis- 
erable souls? — Hath  any  one  suffered  for  sin  in  our  stead  ? — Who 
are  they  that  God  will  pardon  ? — What  change  must  be  made  on  all 
that  will  be  saved  1 — And  how  is  it  made  ? — Where  is  our  chief  hap- 
piness, and  what  must  our  hearts  be  most  set  upon  ?" — Take  heed  of 
asking  them  any  nice,  doubtful,  or  difficult  questions. — Be  very  cau- 
tious how  you  put  them  upon  definitions,  or  descriptions  :  so  contrive 
to  bring  the  predicate  into  your  questions,  that  they  may  perceive 
what  you  mean. — e,  g.  "  What  is  God  ?  Is  he  flesh  and  blood  as  we 
are,  or  is  he  a  spirit  V — Look  not  after  words  but  things;  and  often 
leave  them  to  a  bare  7/^5,  or  no ;  for  there  are  many  elderly  and  even 
godly  people  who  cannot  speak  their  minds  in  any  tolerable  e.xpres- 
sions. — If  you  find  them  at  a  loss,  and  unable  to  answer  you,  do  not 
drive  them  on  too  hard,  or  too  long,  lest  they  should  imagine  that  you 
only  intend  to  puzzle  and  disgrace  them.  When  you  perceive  them 
troubled  that  they  cannot  answer,  take  off  their  burden  by  answering 
the  question  yourself;  and  then  do  it  thoroughly  and  plainly,  that  they 
may  understand  it  before  you  leave  them. 

5.  When  you  have  done  what  you  think  necessary  in  trying  their 
knowledge,  proceed  to  instruct  them  further.  This  must  be  done  ac- 
cording to  their  several  characters.  If  the  person  be  a  professor,  fall 
upon  something  which  you  apprehend  he  most  needs  ;  either  explain 
some  doctrine,  or  lay  the  foundation  of  some  duty  which  you  have 
reason  to  think  he  neglects,  &c.  If  the  person  be  grossly  ignorant, 
give  him  a  plain,  familiar  summary  of  the  christian  religion;  for 
though  he  may  have  it  in  the  catechism,  a  more  familiar  way  of  dis- 
coursing upon  it,  may  help  him  better  to  understand  it.  If  you  per- 
ceive he  does  not  understand  you,  go  over  it  again  ;  then  ask  him 
whether  he  does  or  not ;  and  endeavour  to  leave  it  fixed  in  his  mem- 
ory. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  321 

6.  If  you  suspect  any  to  be  ungodly,  whether  they  be  grossly  ior- 
norant  or  not,  make  a  prudent  inquiry   into   their  states.     The  least 
offensive  way  of  doing  it  will  be,  to  take  your  occasion  from  some  ar- 
ticle in  the  catechism,  which  they   have  repeated :  e.  g.  "  Though 
I  have  no  desire  needlessly  to  pry  into  the  secrets  of  any,  yet,  because 
it  is  the  office  of  a  minister  to  give  advice  to  his  people  in  the  matters 
of  salvation,  and  because  it  is  so  dangerous  a  thing  to  be  mistaken, 
where  life  or  death  eternal  is  depending,  I  would  intreat   you  to  deal 
faithfully,  and  tell   me  whether  you  ever  found  this  great  change  upon 
your  hearts ;— whether  you  live  in  this  or  that  sin  ; — or,  whether  you  per- 
form this  or  that  duty  ;  &,c. — If  any  such  person  tells  you  he  hopes  he 
is  converted,  shew  him,  in  the  plainest  manner,  what  true  conversion 
is  ;  then  renew  and  enforce  the   inquiry.     Ask  him  such  questions  as 
these  :  "  Can  you  truly  say,  that  all  the  known   sins  of  your  past  life 
are  the  grief  of  your  heart  ?     That  you  have  felt  yourself  undone  by 
them  1     That  you  have  gladly  entertained  the  news  of  a  Saviour,  and 
have  cast  your  soul  upon   Christ  alone  for  salvation  ? — Can  you  say 
from  your  heart,  that  you  hate  the  sins  which  you  formerly  loved,  and 
tliat  you  now  love  that  holy  life   for  which  once  you  had  no  relish  '? — 
Do  you  live  in  the  practice  of  any  known  sin,  or  in  the  neglect  of  any 
known  duty  ? — Is  the  main  course  and  the  bent  of  your  whole  life  to 
please  God,   and   enjoy   him   forever  1 — Mention  particularly  some  of 
those  duties  which  you  most  suspect  him  to  omit,  and  ask  him  wheth- 
er he  performs  them  ;  especially   prayer,  in   the  family,  and  in  se- 
cret ;  as  also,  how  he  spends  the  Lord's  day  ? 

7.  If  you  discern  an  apparent  probability  that  the  person  is  in  an 
unconverted  state,  your  next  business  is  to  labour,  with  all  your  skill 
and  power,  to  bring  his  heart  to  a  sense  of  his  condition. — Address 
him  in  some  such  a  manner  as  this. — ''  Truly,  friend,  the  Lord  knows 
I  have  no  mind  to  make  your  case  worse  than  it  is,  nor  to  occasion 
you  any  unnecessary  fear  or  trouble  ;  but  I  suppose  you  would  take 
me  for  an  enemy,  and  not  a  faithful  friend,  if  I  should  flatter  you,  and 
not  tell  you  the  truth.  I  much  fear  that  you  are  yet  a  stranger  to  the 
new  and  divine  life.  If  you  were  a  christian  indeed,  you  would  not 
have  lived  in  such  a  sin,  &,c.  &c.  Alas!  What  have  you  been  doing? 
How  have  you  spent  your  time,  that  you  are  so  ignorant,  and  so  un- 
prepared for  death  if  you  should  now  be  called  to  it?  What  if  you 
had  died  before  now,  in  an  unconverted  state  ?  What  had  become  of 
you,  and  where  had  you  now  been  V — Here  be  very  earnest ;  if  you 
get  not  the  heart,  you  get  nothing.  That  which  docs  not  affect,  is 
soon  forgotten. 

41 


322  THE  REFORMED  I'ASTOU. 

Let  this  be  followed  with  a  practical  exhortation  concerning  i\w 
nature  and  necessity  of  closing  with  Christ,  and  the  use  of  every  pro- 
per means,  for  the  time  to  come,  to  avoid  former  sins.  Speak  to  them 
to  this  effect.  "  I  am  heartily  sorry  to  find  you  in  so  sad  a  case,  but 
should  be  more  so,  to  leave  you  in  it.  Let  nie  therefore  intreat  you 
for  the  Lord's  sake,  and  for  your  own  sake,  to  regard  what  I  shall  say 
to  you.  It  is  a  great  mercy  that  you  were  not  cut  off  in  your  natural 
state  ;  that  you  have  yet  life  and  time  ;  especially  that  there  is  a  suf- 
ficient remedy  provided  for  you,  in  the  blood  of  Christ.  There  is  yet 
a  possibility  of  your  being  converted  and  saved.  Let  me  then  intreat 
you,  not  to  rest  in  your  present  condition,  since,  if  you  do,  you  must 
perish  forever.  Think  seriously  of  the  vanity  of  the  world  ;  the  aw- 
ful nature  of  eternity;  and  the  importance  of  religion.  Without  any 
delay,  accept  of  the  salvation  offered  in  the  gospel,  and  close  with  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  offers  it  to  you.  Resolve  immediately  against 
your  former  sins,  and  be  diligent  in  the  use  of  all  God's  appointed 
means,  till  the  great  change  of  regeneration  be  wrought.  Because 
you  cannot  effect  this  change  yourself,  betake  yourself  daily  to  God 
in  prayer,  and  beg  of  him  to  effect  it,  as  well  as  pardon  your  sins. 
Avoid  carefully  all  temptations  to,  and  occasions  of,  sin.  Forsake 
your  evil  companions,  and  join  the  company  of  them  that  fear  God. 
Especially,  spend  the  Lord's  day  in  holy  exercises,  both  in  public  and 
in  private :  lose  not  any  time,  but  especially,  lose  not  the  most  pre- 
cious time  which  God  has  given  you  to  be  instructed  by  him,  and  pre- 
pared for  your  latter  end." — Be  sure,  if  you  can,  to  get  a  promise 
ffom  such  persons  that  they  will  attend  to  your  advice.  Ask  it  sol- 
emnly ;  reminding  them  of  the  presence  of  God  who  hears  their  prom- 
ises, and  will  expect  the  performance. 

8.  Through  the  whole  of  these  exercises,  see  that  your  manner, 
as  well  as  matter,  be  suited  to  the  end.  Make  a  difference  according 
to  the  difference  of  the  persons  you  have  to  deal  with.  With  the  dull 
and  obstinate,  you  must  be  earnest  and  severe  :  with  the  tender  and 
timorous,  you  must  mildly  insist  upon  direction  and  confirmation.  Witli 
the  young,  you  must  represent  the  shame  and  evil  of  sensual  pleas- 
ures, and  the  necessity  of  mortification  :  with  the  aged,  you  must  dis- 
grace the  present  world  ;  you  must  represent  the  nearness  of  their 
change ;  and  the  aggravations  of  their  sins,  if  they  live  and  die  im- 
penitent. With  your  inferiours,  you  may  be  very  free  :  with  your 
superiours  and  elders,  you  must  speak  with  more  reverence.  To  the 
rich,  the  nature  and  necessity  of  self-denial  must  be  opened  :  to  the 
poor,  we  must  shew  the  great  "  riches  of  glory"  proposed  to  them  in 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  321? 

the  gospel. — The  evil  and  danger  of  those  sins  must  be  insisted  on, 
to  which  each  one's  age,  or  sex,  or  temperature  of  body,  or  employ- 
ment in  the  world,  does  most  incline  them.  Be  as  condescending,  fa- 
miliar, and  plain,  as  possible  with  those  of  the  weakest  capacities. 
Give  them  the  scripture  proofs  of  all  that  you  say,  to  convince  them 
that  it  is  not  you  only,  but  God,  by  you,  who  speaks  to  them.  Be 
serious  in  all,  but  especially  in  your  applications.  I  scarcely  fear  any 
thing  more,  than  lest  some  careless  ministers  will  hurry  over  this  work 
superficially,  and  destroy  this,  as  they  do  all  other  duties,  by  turning 
it  into  a  mere  formality  ;  proposing  a  hw  cold  questions,  and  giving 
a  few  cold  words  of  advice,  without  any  life  and  feeling  in  themselves, 
or  any  likelihood  of  producing  any  feeling  in  the  hearers.  But  sure- 
ly he  that  values  souls  and  knows  what  opportunity  is  before  him,  will 
do  it  accordingly. 

To  this  end,  it  will  be  of  considerable  importance  that  both  be- 
fore, and  in  the  work,  we  lake  great  pains  with  our  own  hearts  ;  es- 
pecially to  strengthen  our  belief  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  the 
invisible  glory  and  misery  which  are  to  come.  This  work  will  great- 
ly try  the  strength  of  our  faith.  A  superficial  christian  will  feel  his 
zeal  quite  fail  him  (especially  when  the  duty  is  grown  common,)  for 
want  of  a  belief  in  the  things  he  is  treating  of,  to  keep  it  alive.  In 
the  pulpit,  from  the  press,  and  in  public  acts,  where  there  is  room  for 
ostentation,  the  hypocritical  minister  will  give  you  his  best :  but  an 
affected  fervency  and  hypocritical  stage-action  will  not  hold  out  long 
in  such  duties  as  these  :  they  are  other  kind  of  men  that  must  effec- 
tually perform  them. — We  should  endeavour  to  prepare  ourselves  for 
this  business  particularly  by  private  prayer. — And,  if  the  time  will 
permit,  it  will  be  best  to  begin  and  end  these  exercises  I  am  recom- 
mending with  a  short  prayer  with  our  people. 

Lastly;  if  God  has  given  you  ability,  extend  your  charity  to  the 
poorer  sort  before  they  part  from  you,  for  their  relief,  and  for  the 
time  that  is  thus  taken  from  their  labours  ;  especially  for  the  encour- 
agement of  those  that  make  the  best  proficiency. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ARGUMENTS  FOR  PERSONAL  INSTRUCTION,  PARTICULARLY  UY  CATE- 
CHISING IN  THE  MANNER  RECOMMENDED. 

It  must,  indeed,  be  acknowledged  that  the  method   of  instruction 
.which  has  been  proposed,  is  attended  with  many  difficulties  and  dis- 


324  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

couragements.  Many  arise  both  from  our  people,  and  from  ourselves. 
— There  is  in  us  much  dullness  and  laziness  ;  so  that  it  will  not  be 
easy  to  bring  us  to  be  faithful  in  so  hard  a  work.  We  have  also  a 
base  man-pleasing  disposition,  which  will  suffer  us  to  let  men  go  qui- 
etly to  hell,  lest  we  should  lose  their  respect.  We  are  more  ready  to 
venture  on  the  displeasure  of  God,  and  their  everlasting  misery,  than 
draw  upon  us  their  ill-will ;  and  are  so  carnal  that  we  dare  not  be  faith- 
ful for  fear  of  losmg  our  income,  or  brmging  ourselves  into  difficul- 
ties. Many  of  us  have  a  foolish  bashfulness,  which  makes  us  back- 
ward to  begin  this  great  work.  We  are  so  modest,  forsooth,  that  we 
blush  to  speak  for  Christ,  or  contradict  the  devil,  or  attempt  to  save 
a  soul ;  while  we  are  less  ashamed  of  more  shameful  works  than  these. 
— We  are  commonly  too  unfit  for  this  work  by  reason  of  our  unskil' 
fulness:  we  know  not  (as  we  ought)  how  to  deal  with  an  ignorant 
worldling  for  his  salvation  ;  how  to  get  within  him  and  win  upon 
him  ;  nor  how  to  suit  our  addresses  to  men's  several  conditions  and 
tempers. — But  the  greatest  impediment  of  all  is,  that  we  ourselves 
are  too  weak  in  faith,  and  feel  too  little  of  the  power  of  religion  upon 
our  souls.  Our  belief  of  divine  truths  and  invisible  things  is  so  fee- 
ble, that  it  will  hardly  excite  in  us  so  kindly,  resolute,  and  constant  a 
zeal  as  is  necessary  for  this  work. 

Besides  these  difficulties  from  ourselves,  we  have  too  many  to  en- 
counter from  our  people. — Many  of  them  will  scorn  to  come  to  us  to 
be  taught,  imagining  they  are  too  good  to  be  catechised,  or  too  old  to 
learn.  Many  are  so  dull  that  they  will  keep  away,  as  ashamed  of 
their  ignorance  ;  or,  if  they  come,  you  will  find  it  a  hard  matter  to 
get  them  to  understand  you  ;  and  yet  more  difficult  to  work  upon 
their  hearts,  so  as  to  produce  a  saving  change ;  which  is  our  princi- 
pal end,  and  without  which  our  labour  is  almost  lost. — Oh  what  a 
rock  a  carnal  heart  is  !  How  strongly  will  it  resist  the  most  powerful 
persuasions,  and  with  what  unconcern  will  sinners  hear  of  everlasting 
life  and  death  !  And  even  when  you  have  made  some  desirable  im- 
pressions upon  (hem,  if  you  have  not  a  special  care  orer  them,  their 
hearts  will  soon  return  to  their  former  hardness,  and  their  old  com- 
panions, and  temptations,  will  work  off  all  again. — [These  things  must 
be  acknowledged  to  be  great  discouragements ;]  but  in  a  necessary 
work,  they  should  excite  us  to  the  greater  diligence. — [That  this  is 
a  necessary  work,  will  appear,  if  we  consider]  the  benefits  to  be  ex- 
pected from  it, — and  the  obligations  ministers  are  laid  under  to  per- 
form it. 

I.  Let  us  consider  the  benefits  which  may  reasonably  be  expect- 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  325 

ed  from  the  method  of  private  instruction  which  has  been  proposed. 
And, 

1.  It  is  attended  with  the  most  excellent  advantage  for  informing 
the  judgement,  and  changing  the  will,  of  the  ignorant  and  ungodly. 

It  will  tend  greatly  to  inform  the  understanding,  to  have  the  sum 
of  Christianity  in  the  memory.  Though  bare  words  will  be  of  but 
little  advantage,  yet  when  the  words  are  plain  English,  he  who  has 
them  by  rote,  is  much  more  likely  to  know  the  truths  contained  in 
them,  than  another.  Such  forms  of  sound  words  (though  some  de- 
ride all  catechisms  as  unprofitable)  may  be  of  admirable  use  ;  espe- 
cially as  we  shall  have  an  opportunity,  by  personal  converse  with  those 
who  have  committed  them  to  memory,  to  try  how  far  they  understand 
them  ;  to  explain  to  them  what  they  do  not  understand ;  and  to  in- 
sist on  those  particulars  which  we  apprehend  each  person  has  most 
need  to  hear. 

[In  some  respects  this  kind  of  instruction  has  the  preference  to 
PREACHING.*]  What  other  argument  need  we  for  this  than  our  own 
experience  1 — I  seldom  deal  with  men  on  this  great  business  in  pri- 
vate serious  conference,  but  they  go  away  with  some  seeming  convic- 
tions, and  promises  of  new  obedience ;  and  sometimes  with  a  deep 
remorse,  and  affecting  sense  of  their  condition.  Yea,  I  have  found 
(and  I  doubt  not  but  you  have  experienced  the  same)  that  an  igno- 
rant sot,  who  for  a  long  time  had  been  an  unprofitable  hearer,  has 
got  more  knowledge  and  remorse  of  conscience,  in  half  an  hour's 
close  conversation,  than  he  did  by  ten  years'  public  preaching.  I 
know  THAT  is  the  most  excellent  means,  because  we  therein  speak  to 
many  at  once  ;  but  this  private  way  of  preaching  is  usually  far  more 
effectual,  for  many  reasons,  e.  g.    We  have  the  best  opportunity  to 

*  "  Private,  frequent,  spiritual  conference  (saith  Dr.  Hammond)  between 
fellow  christians,  but  especially  between  the  Presbyter  and  those  of  his  charg:e, 
particularly  in  the  discussion  of  every  man's  special  sins,  infirmities  and  incli- 
nations, may  prove  very  useful  and  advantageous  (in  order  to  spiritual  direc- 
tions, reproof  and  comfort)  to  the  making  the  man  of  God  perfect.  And  to 
tell  the  truth,  if  the  pride  and  self-conceit  of  some,  the  carelessness  of  others, 
the  bashfulness  of  a  third  sort,  the  nauseating  and  instant  satiety  of  any  good 
in  a  fourth,  if  the  follies  of  men  and  the  artifices  of  Satan,  had  not  put  this 
practice  quite  out  of  fashion  among  us,  there  is  no  doubt  but  more  good 
might  be  done  by  ministers  in  this  way,  than  is  now  done  by  any  other  means, 
even  than  by  that  of  public  preaching,  which  is  now  almost  solely  depended 
upon  :  it  being,  as  Quintilian  saith,  (comparing  public  and  private  in- 
struction of  youth)  a  more  likely  way  to  fill  narrow  mouthed  bottles  (and  such 
are  the  most  of  us)  to  take  them  single  in  the  hand,  and  pour  water  into 
them,  than  to  set  them  altogether,  and  throw  ever  so  much  water  upon 
them." 

Dr.  Hammond  on  the  power  of  the  keys,  Ch.  IV.  }  104. 


326  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

imprint  religious  truths  upon  the  heart,  when  we  can  speak  to  each 
one's  particular  necessity,  and  can  say  to  the  sinner,  '  thou  art  the 
man  :'  when  we  can  mention  his  particular  case,  and  address  him  in 
regard  to  it  with  familiar  importunity.  If  any  thing  in  the  world  is 
likely  to  do  our  people  good,  it  is  this.  They  will  understand  a  fa- 
miliar speech,  who  hear  a  sermon  as  if  it  were  nonsense.  Besides, 
they  have  far  greater  advantage  for  the  application  of  it  to  themselves. 
By  this  means,  you  will  hear  their  objections,  and  know  where  Satan 
has  the  most  advantage  over  them,  or  what  it  is  that  resists  the  truth  ; 
and  so  may  be  the  more  able,  effectually  to  convince  them. — We  can 
here  answer  their  objections,  drive  them  to  a  stand,  urge  them  to  dis- 
cover their  resolutions  for  the  future,  and  to  promise  to  use  the  means 
for  reformation.  Again  ;  in  private,  we  may  speak  in  a  much  plainer 
manner  than  we  can  in  public.  The  plainest  preacher  can  hardly 
speak  plain  enough  in  the  pulpit,  to  make  many  understand.  I  have 
often  been  surprised  to  find  how  grossly  ignorant  many  are,  who  have 
been  my  hearers  several  years ;  who  are  as  unable  to  answer  some  of 
the  plainest  questions  as  if  they  had  never  heard  the  gospel  in  their 
lives  :  Now  in  public  we  cannot  use  such  homely  expressions,  nor 
so  many  repetitions  as  their  dulness  requires  ;  but  in  private  we  may. 
— In  public  our  speeches  are  long  ;  we  quite  over-run  their  under- 
standings and  their  memories;  so  that  they  are  confounded  and  un- 
able to  follow  us ;  one  thing  drives  out  another,  so  that  they  know  not 
what  we  have  been  saying;  but  in  private  we  may  take  our  work 
gradatim,  and  take  our  hearers  with  us  as  we  go.  By  their  answers 
to  our  questions  we  may  see  how  far  they  go  with  us,  and  what  we  have 
next  to  do. — In  public,  by  our  length,  and  speaking  alone,  we  lose 
their  attention  ;  but  when  they  are  interlocutors  we  can  easily  cause 
them  to  attend. — I  conclude,  therefore,  that  public  preaching  alone 
will  not  be  sufficient,  nor  effectual 'for  the  conversion  of  so  many  as 
this  method.  Long  may  you  study  and  preach  to  little  purpose,  if 
you  neglect  this  duty. 

2.  This  work  of  private  instruction,  if  well  managed,  will  be  the 
means  of  the  most  orderly  building  up  those  that  are  converted,  and 
establishing  them  in  the  faith. 

It  hazards  the  whole  work,  or  at  least  very  much  hinders  it,  when 
we  do  it  not  in  a  proper  order.  IIow  can  you  build  if  you  do  not  lay 
a  good  foundation  ?  It  is  owing  to  the  neglect  of  this,  that  there  are 
so  many  deluded  novices  in  religion ;  and  that  so  many  are  labouring 
in  vain  ;  '  still  learning,  without  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  ;'  (2  Tim.  iii.  7.)  like  those  that  would  read  before  they  have 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  327 

learned  the  letters.  This  makes  so  many  fall  away,  or  to  be 'shaken  by 
every  wind  of  doctrine.'  These  fundamentals  are  what  must  lead  men 
to  further  truths  ;  these  they  must  build  upon ;  these  must  actuate  all 
their  graces,  and  animate  all  their  duties  ;  these  must  fortify  them 
against  particular  temptations.  He  that  knows  these  well,  knows  as 
much  as  is  necessary  to  make  him  happy.  He  that  knows  these  best, 
is  the  most  understanding  christian.  He  that  knows  not  these,  knows 
nothing.  The  most  godly  people,  therefore,  in  your  congregation, 
will  find  it  worth  their  while  to  be  thus  instructed.  If  you  would  ed- 
ify and  well  establish  them,  be  diligent  in  this  work. 

3.  This  method  of  private  instruction  will  tend  to  make  our 
preaching  better  understood  and  regarded. 

When  you  have  acquainted  persons  with  the  principles,  they  will 
more  easily  percieve  what  you  are  aiming  at ;  it  will  prepare  their 
minds  and  open  the  way  to  their  hearts  ;  whereas  without  this  you 
may  lose  the  most  of  your  labour  ;  and  the  more  paius  you  take  in 
accurate  preparations,  the  less  good  you  will  do. 

4.  By  this  means  you  will  become  familiar  with  your  people  ; 
which  is  no  inconsiderable  advantage. 

The  want  of  this,  is  a  great  impediment  to  the  success  of  our  la- 
bours. By  distance  and  strangeness,  abundance  of  mistakes  between 
ministers  and  people  are  occasioned.  Besides,  familiarity  tends  to 
beget  those  affections  which  may  open  their  ears  to  further  teaching. 
When  we  are  familiar  with  them,  they  will  be  encouraged  to  use  free- 
dom in  opening  their  doubts  to  us,  for  our  resolution  of  them  :  But 
when  a  minister  knows  not  his  people,  or  is  as  strange  to  them  as  if 
he  did  not  know  them,  it  must  be  a  great  hindrance  to  his  doing 
them  any  good. — By  this  familiarity  we  shall  be  better  acquainted 
with  each  person's  temper  and  spiritual  state,  and  so  shall  know  bet- 
ter how  to  watch  over  them,  how  to  preach  to,  and  discourse  with 
them  ;  how  to  lament  for,  or  rejoice  over  them  ;  and  how  to  pray  to 
God  on  their  behalf. — We  shall  hereby  be  the  better  enabled  to  help 
them  against  temptations,  and  prevent  tiieir  falling  into  any  hurtful 
errours ;  of  which  they  are  in  great  danger  while  their  pastors  are 
strangers  to  them,  and  seducers  are  very  familiar  with  them. — Once 
more  ;  this  familiarity  with  our  people  will  better  satisfy  us  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Lord's  supper  ;  as  we  shall  hereby  better  know 
who  are  fit,  and  who  are  unfit  for  it.  Whereas  many  will  question  a 
minister,  who  examines  his  people  in  order  to  this  ordinance,  by  what 
authority  he  does  it,  and  will  not  submit  to  such  an  examination,  the 


328  THE  IlEFOKMED  PASTOR. 

same  work  will  be  done  in  such  a  course  as  this,  in  an  unexceptiona- 
ble manner. 

5.  This  method  of  private  instruction  will  better  inform  the  people 
concerning  the  nature  of  the  ministerial  office,  or  awaken  them  to  a 
better  attention  to  it. 

It  is  common  for  men  to  think  that  our  work  is  notliing  more 
than  to  preach  well,  to  baptize,  administer  the  Lord's  supper,  and  vi- 
sit the  sick  ;  they  are  therefore  willing  to  submit  to  no  more ;  and 
through  a  common  neglect,  ministers  are  become  such  strangers  to 
their  own  calling,  that  they  think  of  doing  nothing  more.  They 
have  hundreds  of  people  to  whom  they  never  spoke  a  word  personally 
for  their  salvation.  Nay,  the  omission  of  personal  instruction  is 
grown  so  frequent,  even  among  pious  and  able  men,  that  the  disgrace 
of  it  is  abated,  and  a  man  may  be  guilty  of  it  without  any  dishonour 
or  observation.  Shew  the  world  then,  by  your  practice,  what  the  na- 
ture of  our  office  is  ;  and  I  hope  that  you  will  seethe  time,  when  neg- 
lect of  personal  oversight  will  be  taken  for  as  scandalous  an  omission, 
as  preaching  but  one  part  of  the  day  would  now  be  esteemed. — In 
overthrowing  the  errours  of  Popery,  many  have  run  into  the  contrary 
extreme  :  lest  they  should  seem  to  favour  auricular  confession,  they 
have  neglected  all  personal  instruction.  I  am  past  doubt  that  the  po- 
pish auricular  confession  is  a  sinful  novelty  ;  but  I  must  say  (though 
some  will  think  it  strange)  that  our  neglect  of  personal  instruction  is 
much  worse.  Let  us,  by  our  practice,  shew  careless  ministers,  as 
well  as  our  people,  the  importance  and  necessity  of  this  duty. — Fur- 
ther ;  as  this  course  will  acquaint  the  people  with  our  duty  towards 
them,  it  will  also  inform  them  of  theirs  towards  us ;  and  then  they 
will  be  more  likely  to  discharge  it  better.  This  T  mention,  not  for 
our  own  sakes  only,  but  because  their  salvation  is  much  concerned  in 
it.  If  they  do  not  know  what  our  office  is,  viz.  that  it  is  one  great 
branch  of  it  to  admonish  and  instruct  them  in  regard  to  their  particular 
cases,  it  is  no  wonder  if  they  neglect  to  apply  to  us  for  our  help,  to  their 
own  prejudice.  The  matter  is  now  come  to  this  pass,  that  if  we  exhort 
them  to  come  for  instruction,  or  begin  to  discourse  with  them  about 
their  souls,  they  question  our  authority,  and  look  upon  us  as  proud,  prag- 
matical persons,  who  would  bear  rule  over  their  consciences.  They 
do  in  general  discover  no  more  wisdom  nor  gratitude,  than  if  they 
were  to  quarrel  with  a  person  for  quenching  the  fire  when  their  hou- 
ses were  burning  ;  or  if,  when  one  offered  to  save  them  from  drown- 
ing, they  should  ask  him  by  what  authority  he  did  it. — And  what  is  it 
that  has  brought  our  people  to  this  ignorance  of  their  duty,   but  our 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  329 

neglect  of  ours  ?  Where  it  is  the  custom  (as  among  the  Papists) 
they  are  willing  to  confess  all  their  sins  to  the  priest ;  but  among  us 
they  disdain  to  be  questioned  or  instructed,  because  it  is  not  the  cus- 
tom. Let  us  then  by  our  diligence  in  this  work,  endeavour  to  make 
it  become  a  common  thing ;  and  thus  we  shall  facilitate  the  ministeri- 
al service  to  the  next  generation.  If  we  can  but  establish  this  cus- 
tom, our  successors  in  the  ministry  will  reap  the  fruit  of  our  labours, 
as  their  work  will  be  easier  to  them  ;  and  thus  we  may  be  the  means 
of  saving  many  souls  in  ages  to  come,  as  well  as  in  the  present.* 

6.  Another  considerable  benefit  attending  private  instruction,  (es- 
pecially by  catechisms)  is,  that  it  will  keep  our  people  from  much  of 
that  vanity,  which  now  possesses  their  minds  and  takes  up  their  time. 

When  workmen  are  employed  in  their  shops,  almost  all  their  talk  is 
vanity  ;  and  children  are  apt  to  learn  foolish  songs  and  idle  stories,  and 
thus  furnish  their  minds  with  filth  and  rubbish,  which  occasions  them 
to  lose  much  time,  and  to  be  guilty  of  many  idle  thoughts  and  words. 
Now  when  they  have  a  catechism  to  learn,  and  know  that  they  must 
give  an  account  of  it,  much  of  their  time  and  thoughts  will  be  better  em- 
ployed. It  will  particularly  find  them,  and  heads  of  families,  profita- 
ble employment  for  the  Lord's  day. 

7.  As  the  method  of  instruction  I  am  recommending  is,  by  sup- 
position, very  extensive,  we  have  reason  to  expect  the  most  extensive 
benefits  from  it. 

It  has  a  more  excellent  design,  (and  therefore  we  may  hope  it 
will  have  more  important  effects)  than  our  accidental  conferences 
with  here  and  there  a  particular  person.  In  such  occasional  discours- 
es, I  observe  ministers  satisfy  themselves  to  have  spoken  some  few 
good  words,  but  seldom  set  themselves,  in  so  plain  and  close  a  man- 
ner, to  convince  men  of  their  sin  and  misery,  and  their  need  of  mer- 
cy, as  in  this  purposely  appointed  work,  we  shall  have  an  opportunity 
of  doing. 

In  short,  so  weighty  and  excellent  is  this  duty,  that  the  chief  part 
of  church  reformation  is  behind  without  it,  and  consists  in  it.  We 
are  apt  to  look  upon  a  reformation  as  what  is  to  be  wrought  immedi- 
ately by  God,  without  considering,  that  it  is  to  be  effected  by  our 
means ;  but  this  we  have  no  warrant  to  do  :  in  order  to  it,  we  must 
use  our  unwearied  endeavours,  and  particularly   must  be  diligent  in 

*  "  Perhaps  you  who  find  a  people  rude  and  ignorant,  (like  stones  in  the 
quarry,  or  trees  unhewn)  may  not  bring  the  work  to  such  perfection  in  your 
days  as  you  desire.  Yet  as  Davip  did  for  Solomon,  you  may,  by  your  pains 
in  teaching  and  instructing,  prepare  materials  for  another  who  shall  rear  the 
temple."     Gurxal,  ubi  supra. 

42 


330  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

catechising  and  personal  instruction  ;  for  this  is  likely  to  do  more  to- 
wards effecting  such  a  reformation  as  we  have  long  prayed  and  hoped 
for,  than  every  other  means  without  it.  Brethren,  all  that  our  fore- 
fathers have  been  doing  for  the  good  of  the  church,  and  for  a  true 
reformation,  for  so  many  years,  was  but  to  prepare  the  way  for  you  to 
come  in  and  do  the  work  which  they  desired.  They  have  opened 
you  the  door,  and  at  a  great  expense  of  labours  and  sufferings,  have 
removed  many  of  your  impediments  : — And  will  you  now  stand  still, 
or  loiter  ]  God  forbid  !  Have  they  spent  so  much  time  in  fencing 
the  vineyard,  in  weeding  and  pruning  it,  to  make  it  ready  for  your 
hands,  and  will  you  now  fail,  who  are  sent  to  gather  in  the  vintage  ? 
In  the  name  of  God,  take  heed  that  you  do  not  frustrate  their  labours, 
their  prayers,  and  their  hopes  ! — To  what  has  been  said,  let  me  add, 

8.  The  diligent  prosecution  of  this  work  will  do  some  good  to 
ministers  themselves. 

It  will  be  the  best  cure  for  their  idleness  and  loss  of  time,  in  un- 
necessary discourses,  journies,  or  other  recreations  ;  and  at  the  same 
time,  will  cut  off  that  scandal  which  attends  them. — Besides,  it  will 
tend  to  subdue  our  own  corruptions,  to  increase  our  own  graces,  and 
consequently  to  procure  much  peace  to  our  own  consciences,  and 
much  comfort  when  our  time  and  actions  come  to  be  reviewed.  This 
constant  employment  of  our  minds  and  tongues  against  sin,  and  in  the 
cause  of  Christ  and  holiness,  will  do  much  more  towards  habituating 
us  to  overcome  our  carnal  inclinations,  than  all  the  austerities  of 
monks  and  hermits,  who  addict  themselves  to  unprofitable  solitude, 
and  '  hide  their  master's  talents.'  Not  to  mention  what  an  excellent 
means  this  will  be,  to  take  us  (as  well  as  our  people)  from  vain  con- 
troversies, and  discourses  upon  lesser  matters  of  religion,  and  thus  to 
cure  those  unhappy  contentions  which  too  often  prevail  among  our- 
selves. 

Having  thus  considered  the  advantages  that  attend  personal  in- 
struction, particularly  catechising,  I  shall  now 

II.  Point  out  the  obligations  ministers  are  under  to  the  practice 
of  it. 

1.  The  necessity  of  this  duty  may  be  argued  from  the  regard  you 
owe  to  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  fuller  success  of  the  gospel. 

God  is  most  honoured  and  pleased  when  most  souls  are  saved  ; 
for  he  hath  sworn  that  '  he  hath  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  a  sinner, 
but  had  rather  that  he  return  and  live.'  (Ezek.  xviii.  23,  32.  xxxiii. 
11.)  How  gladly  then  should  you  take  this  course  which  will  most 
effectually  promote  this  end  ! — O  brethren  !  if  we  conld  generally  set 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  331 

this  work  on  foot  in  all  the  parishes  of  England,  and  prosecute  it 
skilfully  and  zealously,  what  a  glory  would  it  put  upon  the  face  of  the 
nation,  and  what  honour  would  redound  to  God  thereby  !  If  our  com- 
mon ignorance  were  thus  banished,  and  our  vanity  and  idleness  turn- 
ed into  the  study  of  the  way  of  life,  and  every  family  employed  in 
learning  catechisms,  and  speaking  of  the  word  and  works  of  God, 
what  pleasure  would  God  take  in  our  cities  and  countries  !  He  would 
dwell  in  our  habitations  and  make  them  his  delight. — If  we  increase 
the  number  or  strength  of  the  saints,  we  thereby  increase  the  honour 
of  the  king  of  saints :  Christ  will  be  honoured  in  the  fruits  of  his 
bloodshed.  And  the  spirit  of  grace  will  also  be  glorified  in  the  fruit 
of  his  operations.  And  do  not  these  ends  require  us  to  use  the  means 
with  diligence  ? 

2.  I  may  urge  this  duty,  from  the  general  obligation  we  are  all 
under  to  do  good ;  and  from  the  regards  we  owe  to  the  wellare  of  our 
people. 

Every  christian  is  obliged  to  do  all  the  good  he  can,  for  the  salva- 
tion of  others;  but  every  minister  is  doubly  obliged,  because  he  is 
'  separated  to  the  gospel'  of  Christ,  and  is  to  '  give  himself  up  whol- 
ly '  to  that  work.  (Rom.  i.  1.)  {I  Tim.  iv.  1.5.)  It  is  needless  to 
make  any  further  question  about  our  obligation,  when  we  know  in 
general  that  we  are  obliged  to  do  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  conver- 
sion and  salvation  of  our  people,  and  that  this  work  (as  has  been  al- 
ready shewed)  is  needful  to  these  ends.  Of  these  surely  Ave  cannot 
doubt :  let  us  not  then  any  longer  neglect  so  reasonable  and  necessa- 
ry a  duty. — If  the  saving  of  souls, — of  your  neighbors'  souls, — of 
MANY  souls  from  everlasting  misery,  be  worth  your  labour,  up,  and  be 
doing  !  If  you  would  be  the  fathers  of  many  new  born  unto  God,  if 
you  would  'see  the  travail  of  your  souls'  with  comfort,  and  be  able 
to  say  at  last,  "  Here  am  I  and  the  children  that  thou  hast  given  me," 
be  diligent  in  this  blessed  work.  If  it  would  rejoice  you  to  present 
your  converts  '  blameless  and  spotless  to  Christ,'  and  to  see  them 
among  the  saints  in  glory,  praising  the  Lamb  before  his  throne,  be 
glad  of  this  singular  opportunity  that  is  offered  you.  '  VVIiat  is  your 
hope  and  joy  and  crown  of  rejoicing  V  Are  not  your  saved  people 
•  in  the  presence  of  Christ  Jesus  at  his  coming?  Yea,  doul)tless  they 
are  your  glory  and  your  joy.'  (l  Thess.  ii.  19,  20.)  If  you  are  the 
ministers  of  Christ  indeed,  you  will  long  for  'the  perfecting  of  his  bo- 
dy, and  the  gathering  in  of  his  elect.'  Your  hearts  will  be  set  upon 
it,  and  you  will  travail  as  in  birth  for  them  till  Christ  be  formed  in 
them ;'  (Gal.  iv.  19.)  and  will   take  all  opportunities  [that  are  likely 


332  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

to  promote  this  great  end]  as  the  sunshine  days  in  a  rainy  harvest,  in 
which  it  is  unreasonable  and  inexcusable  to  be  idle.  Nay,  if  you 
have  but  a  spark  of  christian  compassion  in  you,  it  will  appear  worth 
your  utmost  labour  to  '  save  souls  from  death  and  to  cover  a  multitude 
of  sins.' — O  remember  when  you  are  talking  with  the  unconverted, 
that  there  is  an  opportunity  in  your  hands  to  save  a  soul  !  to  '  rejoice 
the  angels  in  heaven!'  to  rejoice  Christ  himself!  and  to  increase  the 
family  of  God  ! — There  is  not  a  sinner  whose  case  you  should  not  so 
far  compassionate  as  to  be  willing  to  relieve  him  at  a  much  dearer 
rate  than  [by  the  labour  I  have  been  recommending.] — Can  you  see 
sinners  as  the  wounded  man  by  the  way,  and  unmercifully  pass  by  ? 
Can  you  hear  them  cry  to  you  as  the  man  of  Macedonia  to  Paul  iu 
his  vision,  "  Come  and  help  us,"  and  yet  refuse  your  help  ?  Are  you 
intrusted  with  a  hospital,  where  one  languishes,  and  another  groans, 
crying  out  "  Oh  help  me  !  pity  me  for  the  Lord's  sake  !"  and  where 
a  third  is  raging  mad,  and  would  destroy  himself  and  you,  and  yet 
will  you  still  sit  idle  ? — If  it  is  said  of  him  that  relieveth  not  men's 
bodies,  how  much  more  may  it  be  said  of  them  that  relieve  not  men's 
souls,  'If  you  see  your  brother  have  need  and  shut  up  the  bowels  of 
your  compassion  from  him,  how  dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  you  V 
(1  John,  iii.  17.)  You  are  not  such  hard-hearted  men — such  monsters, 
but  you  will  pity  the  naked,  the  imprisoned,  or  those  that  are  tormented 
with  grievous  pain  or  sickness :  and  will  you  not  pity  a  hard-hearted  sin- 
ner, who  must  be  excluded  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  (if  a  thorough, 
speedy  repentance  prevent  it  not")  and  lie  under  his  remediless  wrath  ? — 
What  shall  I  call  the  heart  of  that  man  who  will  not  pity  such  an  one  ? 
The  heart  of  an  infidel !  a  heart  of  stone  !  a  very  rock  or  adamant ! 
Surely  if  he  believed  the  misery  of  the  impenitent,  it  would  be  impos- 
sible for  him  not  to  pity  them.  Can  you  tell  men,  in  the  pulpit,  that 
they  shall  certainly  be  damned  except  they  repent,  and  yet  have  no 
pity  on  them  when  you  have  so  proclaimed  their  danger  ?  And  if 
you  do  pity  them,  will  you  not  do  thus  much  for  their  salvation  ? 
What  if  you  heard  sinners  cry  after  you  in  the  streets — "O  sir  !  have 
pity  on  me,  and  afford  me  your  advice !  I  am  afraid  of  the  everlasting 
wrath  of  God  1  I  know  I  must  shortly  leave  this  world,  and  I  fear, 
lest  I  shall  be  miserable  in  the  next !"  What  if  they  came  to  your 
study  door  and  cried — "  Oh  pity  us !  Oh  help  us,  lest  we  should  be 
tormented  in  the  flames  of  hell" — and  would  not  leave  you  till  you 
had  told  them  how  to  escape  the  wrath  of  God, — could  you  find  in 
your  hearts  to  drive  them  away  without  advice  ?  I  am  confident  you 
could  not. — rWhy  such  persons,  alas  !  who  do  not  thus  cry  for  help, 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  333 

are  the  most  miserable.  The  hardened  sinner,  who  cares  least  for 
your  advice,  needs  it  most.  He  that  has  not  so  much  life  as  to  feel 
that  he  is  dead,  nor  so  much  light  as  to  see  his  danger,  nor  so  much 
sense  as  to  pity  himself,  this  is  the  man  that  is  most  to  be  pitied.  O 
how  can  you  walk  and  talk  and  be  merry  with  such  people,  when 
you  know  their  case  ?  Methinks  when  you  look  them  in  the  face, 
and  think  of  their  future  misery,  you  should  break  forth  into  tears  (as 
the  prophet  did  when  he  looked  upon  Hazael)  and  then  fall  on  with 
the  most  importunate  exhortations  !  When  you  come  to  visit  them 
in  their  last  sickness,  will  it  not  wound  your  hearts  to  see  them  ready 
to  depart  into  misery,  without  your  having  ever  dealt  seriously  with 
them  for  their  recovery  ? — O  then,  for  the  Lord's  sake,  and  for  the 
sake  of  such  poor  souls,  have  pity  on  them!  Bestir  yourselves,  and 
spare  no  pains  that  may  conduce  to  their  salvation  ! 

3.  Our  obligations  to  this  kind  of  instruction  may  be  made  to  ap- 
pear both  from  scripture  examples  and  precepts. 

We  have  Christ's  own  example,  who  used  this  interlocutory 
preaching  both  to  his  disciples  and  to  the  Jews ;  and  we  have  the  ex- 
amples of  the  apostles,  who  did  the  like.  Indeed  this  was  their  ordi- 
nary way  of  preaching  :  and  when  they  made  a  speech  of  any  length, 
tlie  people  and  they  discoursed  it  out  in  the  conclusion. 

Thus  Peter  preached  to  the  Jews  ;  (Acts  ii.)  and  to  Cornelius 
and  his  friends  ;  (Acts  x.)  Thus  Philip  preached  to  the  Eunuch ; 
(Acts  ix.)  and  thus  Paul  preached  to  the  jailor  ;  (Acts  xvi.)  Thus 
as  he  tells  us,  (Gal.  ii.  2.)  he  '  preached  privately  to  those  of  reputa- 
tion, lest  he  should  have  run  and  laboured  in  vain.'  That  earnest 
charge  of  his  to  Timothy,  no  doubt,  includes  it :  '  I  charge  thee 
therefore  before  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  &c.  preach  the 
word,  be  instant  in  season,  and  out  of  season,  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort 
with  all  long  suffering  and  doctrine.'  (2  Tim.  iv.  1,  2.) — [Some  oth- 
er passages  to  the  present  purpose  were  quoted  in  a  former  chapter. 
It  would  be  needless  tediousness  to  recite  any  more  to  those  who 
know  tliem  so  well.] — But  I  must  further  tell  you, 

4.  This  ministerial  fidelity  is  necessary  to  your  own  welfare,  as 
well  as  your  people's. 

You  can  no  more  be  saved  without  that  fidelity  which  belongs  to 
you  as  ministers,  than  your  people  can  without  that  which  belongs  to 
them  as  Christians.  If  you  care  not  for  others,  at  least  care  for 
YOURSELVES.  Oh  !  what  a  dreadful  thing  is  it  to  answer  for  the  neg- 
lect of  such  a  charge  as  ours  !  What  sin  more  heinous  than  the  be- 
traying of  souls  !  That  threatening  (to  which  we  have  so  often  re- 
ferred) is  enough  surely  to  make  us  tremble  ;  '  If  thou  warn  not  the 


334  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

wicked,  &.c.  their  '  blood  will  I  require  at  thy  hands.'  I  am  afraid, 
nay,  I  am  past  doubt,  that  the  day  is  near,  when  unfaithful  ministers 
will  wish  they  had  never  known  their  charge  :  but  that  they  had  been 
employed  in  the  meanest  occupations,  instead  of  being  pastors  of 
Christ's  flock  ;  when  besides  all  the  rest  of  their  sins,  they  shall  have 
the  blood  of  so  many  souls  to  answer  for.  Oh  brethren  !  our  death, 
as  well  as  our  people's,  is  near  at  hand  ;  and  certainly  death  is  as  ter- 
rible to  an  unfaithful  pastor  as  to  any.  When  we  see  that  we  must  die, 
and  there  is  no  remedy  ; — that  no  wit,  nor  learning,  nor  popular  ap- 
plause, can  avert  the  stroke  or  delay  the  time  ;  but  that,  whether 
willing  or  unwilling,  our  souls  must  be  gone  into  that  world  we  never 
saw,  where  our  persons,  and  worldly  circumstances  will  not  be  re- 
spected— Oh  !  then  for  a  clear  conscience,  that  can  say,  "  I  have  not 
lived  to  myself,  but  to  Christ  ;  I  spared  not  my  pains  ;  I  '  hid  not  my 
talent ;'  I  concealed  not  men's  misery,  nor  the  way  of  their  recovery  ; 
'  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept 
the  faith  ;  and  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness !"  (2  Tim.  iv.  7.)  Let  us  be  diligent  in  doing  good  to  oth- 
ers and  to  ourselves,  that  we  may  end  our  days  with  this  glorious  tri- 
umph. Let  us  take  time,  while  we  may  have  it ;  and  work  while  it 
is  day,  '  for  the  night  conieth  wherein  no  man  can  work.'  If  you 
would  prepare  for  a  comfortable  death,  and  a  glorious  reward,  '  gird 
up  the  loins  of  your  minds,  and  quit  yourselves  like  men.'  If  you 
would  be  '  blessed  with  those  that  die  in  the  Lord,'  labour  now,  that 
you  may  '  rest  from  your  labours'  then  ;  and  do  such  '  works '  as  you 
would  wish  to  '  follow  you.' 


CHAPTER  VI. 


OF  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE. 


The  next  part  of  our  over-sight  is  the  use  of  church  discipline. 
This  consists  (after  private  reproofs,   which  were  considered  above) 

*  N.  B.  The  author,  in  treating-  this  subject,  goes  on  the  supposition  that 
discipline  is  to  be  extended  to  all  that  are  in  what  he  calls  a  church-state : 
i,  e.  not  only  those  who  are  admitted  to  the  Lord's  table,  but  those  who  have 
acknowledged  their  relation  to  the  pastor  as  his  charge,  by  giving  him  their 
names  ;  after  having  regularly  "  passed  from  an  infant  to  an  adult  state,  by 
confirmation  •,"  the  nature  and  the  grounds  of  which  rite  he  has  considered  at 
lar°-e,  in  a  treatise  called  "  Confirmation  and  Restoration."     (See  his  works, 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  335 

(Ch.  II.)  of  the  following  particulars  : — Publicly  reproving  offend- 
ers— exhorting  them  to  repentance — praying  for  them — restoring  the 
penitent — and  excluding  the  impenitent. 

I.  The  first  part  of  church  discipline  to  be  considered,  is  public 
reproof. 

In  order  to  conduct  this  in  the  most  useful  manner,  these  things 
must  be  observed. 

1.  The  accusations  of  none  (not  even  the  best  in  the  church) 
should  be  taken  without  proof. 

A  minister  should  never  make  himself  a  party,  before  he  has  suf- 
ficient evidence  of  the  case.  It  is  better  to  let  many  vicious  persons 
go  unpunished  and  without  censure,  when  we  want  full  evidence 
against  them,  than  to  censure  one  unjustly  ;  which  we  may  easily  do 
if  we  go  upon  bold  presumptions  alone :  and  that  will  bring  upon  a 
pastor  the  scandal  of  partiality  and  unrighteous  dealing,  which  will 
make  his  reproofs  and  censures  become  contemptible. 

2.  Let  there  be  therefore  a  private  meeting  of  chosen  persons 
(the  officers,  and  some  delegates  of  the  church  on  their  behalf)  to 
have  the  hearing  of  all  such  cases,  before  they  are  made  public. 
They  may  meet  together  once  a  month,  at  some  certain  place,  that 
[among  other  ends]  they  may  be  ready  to  receive  what  charge  shall 
be  brought  against  any  member  of  the  church  ;  that  it  may  be  consid- 
ered whether  it  be  just,  and  that  the  offender  may  be  dealt  with  there 
first.  If  the  fault  be  not  of  a  public  heinous  nature,  and  the  party 
shall  there  profess  repentance,  that  may  suffice.  But  if  it  be  other- 
wise, and  the  person  remain  impenitent,  he  must  '  be  reproved  before 
all.' 

3.  Great  caution  and  much  prudence  must  be  exercised  in  such 
proceedings  as  these,  lest  we  do  more  harm  than  good.  But  let 
it  be  such  christian  prudence  as  orders  duties  aright,  and  directs 
them  to  their  proper  ends,  and  not  such  carnal  prudence  as  shall  en- 
ervate or  exclude  them.  It  may  therefore  be  proper  for  young  minis- 
ters to  consult  with  others,  for  the  more  cautious  proceeding  in  such 
work. 

In  the  performance  of  it,  we  should  always  deal  humbly,  even 
when  we  deal  most  sharply ;  that  we  may  make  it  appear  it  is  not 
from  any  lordly  disposition,  nor  an  act  of  revenge,  but  a  necessary 
duty,  which  we  cannot  in  conscience  avoid.     It  will  therefore  be  pro- 

Vol.  IV.  p.  254.)  However,  in  this  abridgement,  what  was  jiecnliar  to  (he 
author's  idea  of  a  chnrch  is  g-enerally  omitted,  anil  this  chapter  is,  for  the  most 
part,  accommodated  to  any  mode  of  government  which  christian  churches  have; 
(?ommonly  adopted. 


336  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

per  publicly  to  disclaim  all  animosities,  and  shew  the  people  the  com- 
mands of  God  obliging  us  to  what  we  do. 

II.  With  the  duly  of  public  reproof,  must  be  joined  an  exhorta- 
tion of  the  person  to  repentance,  and  to  a  public  profession  of  it  for 
the  satisfaction  of  the  church. 

As  the  church  is  bound  to  avoid  communion  with  scandalous,  im- 
penitent sinners,  so  when  they  have  had  evidence  of  their  sin,  they 
must  also  see  some  evidence  of  their  repentance  ;  for  we  cannot 
know  them  to  be  penitent  without  evidence.  And  what  evidence  is 
the  church  capable  of,  but  their  profession  of  repentance  first,  and 
their  actual  reformation  afterwards.  Both  which  must  be  expected 
and  demanded  of  them.  Both  in  our  public  reproofs  and  exhortations 
we  should  be  very  cautious  of  giving  offence  :  in  order  to  avoid  which 
we  should  proceed  in  some  such  manner  as  this : 

'  Friends  and  brethren.  Sin  is  so  evil  and  dangerous  a  thing, 
that  God  has  commanded  us  to  exhort  one  another  daily,  lest  any  be 
hardened  through  the  deceitfulness  of  it :'  (Heb.  iii.  13.)  and  that 
we  do  not  '  hate  our  brother  in  our  heart,  but  in  any  wise  rebuke  our 
neighbour  and  not  suffer  sin  upon  him.'  (Lev.  xix.  17.)  Our  Lord 
exhorts  us,  '  if  our  brother  offend  us,  to  tell  him  of  his  fault,  and  if  he 
will  not  hear  us,  to  take  two  or  three  persons  with  us  to  reprove  him  ; 
'  and  if  he  will  not  hear  them,  to  tell  the  church,  to  esteem  him  as  a 
heathen  or  publican.'  (Matt,  xviii.  15 — 17.)  'Those  that  sin,' we 
are  commanded  to  '  rebuke  before  all,  that  others  also  may  fear,'  (1 
Tim.  V.  20.)  and  '  if  they  repent  not,  to  avoid  them,  and  not  so  much 
aseat  withthem.'('2Thess.  iii.  6, 12,  14.  ICor.  v.  11,13.)  Accordingly, 

having  heard  of  the  scandalous  practice  of  N of  this  church, 

and  having  received  sufficient  proof  that  he  hath  committed  the 
odious  sin  of  ***,  we  have  seriously  dealt  with  him  in  private  to  bring 
him  to  repentance  :  but  to  the  grief  of  our  hearts,  perceive  that  he 
still  remains  impenitent,  (or  lives  in  the  same  sin.)  We  therefore 
judge  it  our  necessary  duty  to  use  this  further  remedy  which  Christ 
hath  commanded  us  to  try. — And  I  do  earnestly  beseech  him  for  the 
sake  of  his  own  soul,  and  require  it  of  him,  as  a  messenger  of  Jesus 
Christ,  (as  he  will  answer  the  contrary  at  the  bar  of  God)  to  remain 
no  longer  stout  and  impenitent,  but  unfeignedly  to  confess  and  lament 
his  sin  before  God  and  this  congregation.  This  desire  I  here  publish, 
not  out  of  any  ill  will  to  his  person,  (as  the  Lord  knows)  but  in  obe- 
dience to  Christ,  and  in  love  to  his  soul,  wishing  that,  if  possible,  he 
may  be  saved  from  his  sin,  from  the  power  of  Satan,  and  the  ever- 
lasting wrath  of  God  ;  and  that  he  may  be  speedily  reconciled  to  him, 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  337 

and  his  church."  To  this  purpose  should  our  public  adirvonition  pro- 
ceed :  and  in  some  cases,  where  the  sinner  esteems  his  sin  to  be 
small,  it  will  be  necessary  to  set  it  in  its  proper  light,  and  especially 
to  quote  some  texts  of  scripture  which  aggravate  and  threaten  it. 

III.  To  our  reproofs  and  exhortations  may  properly  be  added  the 
prayers  of  the  church. 

We  should  pray  both  for  those  that  have  been  reproved,  and  those 
(some  of  them  at  least)  that  have  been  rejected,  that  they  may  repent 
and  be  restored.  We  are  commanded  '  to  pray  always,  and  in  all 
things ;  for  all  men,  and  in  all  places  ;'  so  great  a  business  as  this, 
therefore,  should  not  be  done  without  it.  We  should  earnestly  join 
together  in  prayer  to  God,  that  he  would  open  the  sinner's  eyes  ;  that 
he  would  soften  his  heart,  and  save  him  from  impenitency  and  eternal 
death.  That  we  have  not  his  request  or  consent,  is  no  reason 
against  it ;  for  that  is  his  very  disease,  and  the  malignity  of  it.  If 
the  person  even  refuses  to  be  present  to  receive  our  admonition,  it 
will  be  proper  to  desire  the  prayers  of  the  congregation  for  him.  And 
let  us  be  very  earnest  in  praying  for  him,  that  the  congregation  may 
be  provoked  to  join  with  us.  Who  knows  but  God  may  hear  such 
prayers,  and  that  they  may  be  more  effectual  than  our  exhortations  ? 
However,  the  people  will  thereby  perceive  that  we  do  not  make  light 
of  sin,  and  that  we  do  not  preach  to  them  in  mere  custom  or  form. — 
When  the  sinner  is  thus  admonished  and  prayed  for,  if  it  please  the 
Lord  to  open  his  eyes  and  give  him  repentance,  our  next  duty  is, 

IV.  To  proceed  for  his  full  recovery :  where  these  things  must  be 
observed. 

We  must  not  discourage  him  by  too  much  severity,  nor  yet  by  too 
much  haste  and  lenity,  palliate  the  offence  and  sink  the  ideas  of  dis- 
cipline.— We  must  urge  him  to  be  serious  in  his  humiliation,  till  he 
be  truly  sensible  of  his  sin  ;  for  it  is  not  a  vain  formality  that  we  are 
to  expect,  but  the  recovering  and  saving  of  the  soul. — We  should 
bring  him  to  beg  the  communion  and  prayers  of  the  church  ;  and  to 
promise  that  he  will  most  carefully  avoid  the  sin  into  which  he  has 
fallen,  for  the  time  to  come. — After  this  we  must  assure  him  of  the 
riches  of  God's  love,  and  the  sufficiency  of  Christ's  blood,  to  pardon 
his  sin :  and  that,  if  his  repentance  be  sincere,  we  are  authorized  as 
the  messengers  of  the  Lord,  to  assure  him  that  he  is  pardoned. — We 
should  then  charge  him  to  persevere,  and  perform  his  promises ;  to 
avoid  temptations,  and  continue  begging  mercy,  and  strengthening 
grace. — Hereupon  we  should  charge  the  church,  that  they  imitate 
Christ  in  forgiving,  and  that  they  retain  the  person  in  (or  receive  him 
43 


33b'  THE  KlirORMI'.D  I'ASTOR. 

again  into)  comtnunion  ;  that  they  never  reproach  him  with  his  sin, 
but  forgive  and  forget  as  Christ  does.  We  have  no  warrant  to  rip  up 
matters  that  are  worn  out  of  memory,  or  to  make  that  public  again, 
which  has  ceased  to  be  so. — After  this  we  should  give  God  thanks 
for  his  recovery  so  far,  and  pray  for  his  confirmation  and  future  pre- 
servation.— The  next  part  of  discipline  is 

V.  Rejecting  from  the  church's  communion  those  who,  after  suf- 
ficient trial,  remain  impenitent. 

Exclusion  from  church  communion  is  of  divers  kinds  and  degrees, 
of  which,  I  shall  not  so  far  digress,  as  here  to  treat.  That  which 
is  most  commonly  to  be  practised  among  us,  is  only  to  forbid  an  of- 
fender communion  with  us,  or  to  inflict  a  temporal  exclusion,  called 
suspension,  till  it  shall  please  the  Lord  to  give  him  repentance  [or 
till  he  shall  discover  very  evident  marks  of  impenitence.]  We  have, 
indeed,  no  express  directions  in  scripture  how  long  we  should  stay  to 
try  whether  the  sinner  be  so  impenitent  as  to  be  necessarily  and  en- 
tirely excluded :  we  must  therefore  follow  the  general  directions, 
with  such  diversity  as  the  case  and  character  of  the  person,  and  for- 
mer proceeding  shall  require  ;  this  being  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
church  ;  who  must  always  continue  to  pray  for,  and  exercise  patience 
towards  the  offender,  till  he  manifest  himself  obstinate  in  his  sin. 
Where  a  person  has  openly  sinned  but  once  or  twice,  a  profession  of 
repentance  may  suffice  :  but  if  he  be  accustomed  to  sin,  and  has  often 
broken  his  promises  of  amendment,  then  we  must  require  an  actual 
reformation.  He  that  will  refuse  either  to  reform,  or  to  make  a  pro- 
fession of  repentance,  must  be  considered  as  living  in  the  sin  ;  for  a 
heinous  sin,  but  once  committed,  is  morally  continued  in  till  it  be  re- 
pented of;  and  a  mere  forbearing  of  the  act  is  not  sufficient. — [If  the 
church,  after  having  waited  a  proper  time,  cannot  discern  in  the  per- 
son any  signs  of  genuine  repentance,]  they  must  then  proceed  to  ex- 
communication. The  minister  must  pronounce  him  unworthy  of 
communion,  and  authoritatively  charge  the  people  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  to  avoid  conununion  with  such  a  person  ;  and  must  deny  him 
those  ordinances  and  privileges  which  do  not  belong  to  him,  whereof 
he  is  the  administrator.  And  as  far  as  this  act  of  the  pastor  is  not 
contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  the  people  are  in  duty  bound  to  fall  in 
with  it. — However,  it  will  be  proper  to  pray  for  the  repentance  and 
restoration  even  of  the  excommunicate:  and,  if  God  should  give  them 
repentance,  they  are  gladly  to  be  received  into  the  communion  of  the 
church  again. — So  much  for  the  nature  of  church  discipline  :  and  sure 


THE  REFORMED   PASTOR.  339 

1  am,  if  well  understood,  much  of  the  pastoral  work   and  authority 
consists  in  it. 

There  are  many,  I  know,  who  would  set  open  the  doors  of  the 
church,  would  pluck  up  the  hedge,  and  lay  the  vineyard  common  to 
the  wilderness.  Nay,  (which  is  very  amazing)  some  who  are  esteem- 
ed godly  divines,  reproach  as  a  sect,  those  faithful  pastors  who  will 
not  give  the  sacrament  to  all  the  parish,  and  who  maintain  discipline 
in  their  churches,  under  the  name  of  Sacramentarians  and  Disciplina- 
rians; as  the  impure  used  to  reproach  the  diligent  by  the  name  of 
Puritans.  [But  surely  their  censures  are  very  ill  grounded.]  Was 
not  Christ  himself  the  leader  of  these  Disciplinarians?  He  instituted 
discipline,  and  commanded  the  particular  acts  of  it.  '  If  thy  brother' 
(says  he)  '  shall  trespass  against  thee,  go  and  tell  him  his  fault :  if  he 
will  not  hear  thee,  then  take  with  thee  two  or  three  more,  tliat  in  the 
mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  may  be  established  :  but 
if  he  neglect  to  hear  them,  tell  it  to  the  'church  :  but  if  he  neglect 
to  hear  the  church,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  a  heathen  man  and  a 
publican.'  He  adds,  'Verily  I  say  unto  you,  whatsoever  ye  shall  bind 
on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and  whatsoever  ye  shall  loose  on 
earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven.'  (Matt,  xviii.  15 — 18.)  Christ  made 
his  ministers  the  rulers  of  his  church,  and  put  the  keys  of  the  king- 
dom into  their  hands  ;  and  he  requires  the  people  to  '  submit  to  them, 
and  obey  them  in  the  Lord.'   (fleb.  xiii.  17.) 

Agreeable  to  these  scriptures  was  the  practice  of  the  an- 
cient church,  for  many  years  after  Christ;  in  which  discii)Iine  was 
exercised  much  more  vigorously  than  among  any  of  us,  even  in  the 
heat  of  heathen  persecutions,  as  well  as  under  christian  magistrates, 
(till  selfishness  and  formality  caused  them  to  be  remiss  in  this  and 
other  duties  together)  as  may  be  seen  in  the  ancient  canons  and  Cy- 
prian's epistles.  Discipline  was  not  then  taken  to  be  a  useless 
thing  ;*  nor  would  it  appear  such  now,  if  it  were  shewed  in  its  strength 
and  beauty,  by  a  vigorous  practice  :  for  you  will  never  make  men 
know  what  it  is  by  luere  talking  of  it;  it  being,  like  the  government 
of  Commonwealths,  little  known  till  learned  by  experience. — I  know 
that  when  the  church  began  to  be  tainted  with  vain  inventions,  the 
word  Discipline  changed  its  signification  for  various  of  their  own 
rules  of  life,  and  austere  impositions  :  but   it  is  for  the  ancient  and 


*  Disciplinia  est  custos  spei,  retinaculum  fidei,  dux  itineris  salutans,  fomes 
ac  niitrimeatum  bonse  iudolis,  majistia  virtutis  ;  facit  i  i  Cliristo  manure  sem- 
per, ac  jugitur  Deo  vivere,  ad  promissa  coelestia  et  divina  prse.uia  )  <  rvcnire  : 
Hanc  et  sectari  saluhre  est,  et  adven-ari  ac  negli^ere  h-thalc.  C'\i'R.  de 
Discip.  p.  265.     See  Calvin's  lustit.  lib.  IV.  cap.  12.  ^  J,  2. 


340  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

truly  christian  discipline  alone  that  1  am  contending.  There  is  no 
room  to  doubt  whether  this  be  our  duty,  nor  whether  we  are  unfaith- 
ful as  to  the  performance  of  it.  It  is  certainly  no  less  our  duty  be- 
cause our  brethren  of  late  have  made  so  little  conscience  of  it. — And 
what  are  the  hindrances  that  now  keep  the  ministers  of  England 
from  the  discharge  of  it  ?     I  hear  what  some  say,  and  see  more. 

1.  Some  object  "that  we  shall  be  guilty  of  defaming  men,  by 
thus  publishing  their  crimes."  I  answer  in  the  words  of  Bernard, 
''  Cum  carpuntur  vitia,  et  inde  scandalum  oritur,  ipse  sibi  scandali 
causa  est,  qui  fecit  quod  argui  debet :  non  ille  qui  arguit.  Non  ergo 
tiraeas  contra  charitatem  esse,  si  unius  scandalum  multorum  recom- 
pensaveris  pace.  Melius  est  enim  ut  pereat  unus  quam  unitas.*" 
Many  of  us,  who  would  be  ashamed  to  omit  preaching  or  praying  half 
so  much,  have  not  considered  what  we  do  in  wilfully  neglecting  this 
duty.  We  draw  down  the  guilt  of  men's  crimes  upon  our  own  heads, 
when  we  do  not  use  God's  means  for  the  cure  of  them.f 

2.  Others  will  say  "that  there  is  little  likelihood  that  public,  per- 
sonal reprehension  should  do  any  good  to  offenders,  because  they 
will  be  but  enraged  by  the  shame."  I  answer  in  the  words  of  Philo 
a  Jew  :  "  We  must  endeavour  as  far  as  we  are  able  to  save  those  from 
their  sins  who  will  certainly  perish  by  them :  imitating  good  physi- 
cians, who,  when  they  cannot  save  a  sick  man,  do  yet  willingly  try  all 
means  for  cure,  lest  they  seem  to  want  success,  through  their  own 
negligence. J"  I  further  answer,  it  ill  becomes  the  ignorant  creature 
to  implead  the  ordinances  of  God  as  useless.  God  can  render  his 
own  ordinances  successful,  or  else  he  would  never  have  appointed 
them.  Besides,  church  discipline  seems  to  be  well  calculated  for  use- 
fulness. It  tends  to  the  shaming  of  sin,  and  the  humbling  of  the  sin- 
ner ; — to  manifest  the  holiness  of  Christ,  of  his  doctrine,  and  his 
church,  before  all  the  world. — What  method  should  be  taken  with  of- 
fenders if  not  this  ?  Must  they  be  given  up  as  hopeless?  That  were 
cruel :  and  other  means  are  supposed  to  have  been  used  without  suc- 
cess.— The  church  of  Christ  has  found  this  method  to  be  successful, 
even  in  times  of  persecution,  when  (if  ever)  carnal  reason  would  have 
told  them  to  forbear  it,  for  fear  of  driving  away  their  converts. — But 
besides  all  that  has  been  said,  let  it  be  remembered,  that  the  princi- 

*  Bernard  sup.  Cantic. 
t  Qui  non  corrigit  resecanda  comtnittit.     Greg. 

Si  quid  me  scis  fecisse  incite  aut  improbe,  si  id  non  accusas,  tu  ipse  objnr- 
gandus  es.  Plaut, 

X  Philo  de  sacrif.  Abel  et  Cain. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  341 

pal  use  of  this  public  discipline,  is  not  for  the  offender  himself,  but 
for  the  church.  It  tends  greatly  to  deter  others  from  the  like  crimes, 
and  so  to  keep  our  churches  and  worship  pure.* 

3.  Some  will  say,  "  That  this  method  will  but  restrain  men  as  hy- 
pocrites and  not  convert  them."  I  answer,  Who  knows  how  God 
may  bless  his  ordinances  ?— It  is  true  repentance  to  which  offenders 
are  exhorted,  and  which  they  profess :  whether  they  truly  profess  it 
or  not,  who  can  tell  but  God  1  However,  if  it  only  restrains  persons, 
that  is  a  benefit  not  to  be  contemned.  It  is  of  some  importance  that 
sin  be  disgraced ;  and  so  far  the  church  acquit  themselves.  But  the 
grand  objection  against  discipline,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  is, 

4.  The  difficulty  of  the  work,  and  the  trouble  or  suffering  you  are 
likely  to  bring  upon  yourselves  by  it.  "  We  cannot  (say  you)  public- 
ly reprehend  one  sinner,  but  he  will  highly  resent  it,  and  bear  us  ma- 
lice for  it.  We  can  prevail  with  very  few  to  make  a  public  profession 
of  repentance  ;  and  if  we  excommunicate  them,  that  will  enrage  them 
the  more.  If  we  were  to  deal  with  all  the  obstinate  sinners  in  the 
parish,  in  the  manner  you  advise,  it  would  be  dangerous  living  amontr 
them  ;  or  we  should  be  so  hated,  that  our  labours  would  become  quite 
unprofitable  to  them.  Duty  therefore  ceases  to  be  duty,  because  the 
hurt  that  would  follow  would  be  greater  than  the  good."  But  are  not 
these  reasons  as  valid  against  professing  and  defending  Christianity 
in  some  times  and  places,  as  now  against  discipline  ?  Christ  has  told 
us  '  that  he  came  not  to  send  peace  ;'  and  that  '  the  world  will  hate 
us.' — Many  of  his  servants  have  met  with  more  difficulty  in  doing 
their  duty  than  we  can  expect ;  which  yet  did  not  prevent  their  faith- 
ful discharge  of  it.  If  we  did  our  duty  faithfully  as  ministers,  we 
should  now  find  much  the  same  lot  among  professed  christians,  as  our 
predecessors  did  among  infidels. — But  if  you  cannot  suffer  for  Christ, 
why  did  you  '  put  your  hands  to  his  plough  V  You  oucrht  '  first  to 
have  sat  down  and  counted  the  cost.' — This  makes  the  ministerial 
work  so  unfaithfully  done,  because  it  is  so  carnally  undertaken.  Ma- 
ny enter  upon  it  as  a  life  of  ease  and  honour  from  men,  and  therefore 

they  resolve  to  attain  their   ends,   whether  right  or   wrono- As  for 

your  making  yourselves  incapable  of  doing  men  any  good,  if  you  thus 
publicly  admonish  them ;  I  answer,  that  reason  is  as  valid  against 
plain  preaching,  or  private  reproof,  or  any  other  duty  for  which  wick- 
ed men  will  hate  us.  As  has  been  already  observed,  God  will  bless 
his  own  ordinances  to  do  good,  or  else  he  would  not  have  appointed 


*  Vitia  transmittit  ad  pcsteros,  qui  prsesentibus  culpis  i^noscit.— Bonis  ao- 
cet  qui  mails  parcit.  Seneca. 


THE  REl'ORMED  PASTOR. 

them.  By  this  means  you  may  possibly  do  good  to  the  offender,  and 
even  to  the  excommunicate :  I  am  sure  it  is  God's  means  ;  and  the 
last  means  we  can  use  ;  it  were  therefore  perverse  to  neglect  it. 
However,  other  persons,  both  within  and  without  the  church,  may  re- 
ceive good  by  it,  though  the  offender  himself  receive  none  :  and  God 
will  certainly  have  the  honour  when  his  church  is  thus  manifestly  dis- 
tinguished from  the  world. — But  let  me  tell  you,  there  is  not  such  '  a 
lion  in  the  way'  as  you  may  imagine  ;  nor  is  discipline  so  useless  a 
thing.  I  bless  God,  upon  the  small  (and  too  late)  trial  I  have  made  of 
it  myself  I  can  say  by  experience  it  is  not  vain  ;  nor  are  the  hazards 
of  it  such  as  may  excuse  our  neglect. — To  the  last  objection  many 
have  added, 

5.  "  That  it  is  a  vain  thing  to  attempt  the  use  of  discipline  in  the 
church,  unless  it  were  established  by  secular  power,  and  all  the  people 
were  forced,  under  a  penalty,  to  submit  to  it  ; — that  without  the  help 
of  the  civil  magistrate  it  is  not  likely  that  we  should  do  any  good, 
since  every  man  has  liberty  to  despise  our  censures,  and  to  absent 
himself  when  he  should  appear  before  the  church."  Here  let  me  ask, 
How  did  the  church  of  Christ  subsist  before  the  days  of  Constantine 
the  Great,  without  the  help  of  the  civil  magistrate  ?  And  how  was 
discipline  exercised  for  three  hundred  years  together,  when  the  prince 
did  not  so  much  as  give  protection  or  toleration  to  christians,  but  ev- 
en persecuted  them  to  death  ?  Yet  then  was  the  church  in  its  best 
state,  and  its  discipline  the  most  pure  and  powerful.  Are  the  keys 
of  Christ's  church  so  unfit  and  useless,  that  they  will  not  open  and 
shut  without  the  magistrate's  help  ?  If  they  have  contracted  any  rust 
we  may  thank  ourselves,  who  have  let  them  lie  so  long  without  use. 
But  let  me  add,  that  too  much  interposition  of  the  civil  magistrate 
with  our  discipline,  would  do  more  hurt  than  good  :  it  would  but  cor- 
rupt it  by  the  mixture,  and  make  it  become  a  mere  human  thing. 
Your  government  is  all  to  work  upon  the  conscience  ;  and  the  sword 
cannot  reach  that.  It  is  not  a  desirable  thing  to  have  repentance  so 
obscured  by  mere  forced  confessions,  that  you  cannot  know  when 
persons  mean  as  they  speak,  I  confess,  if  (since  I  have  exercised 
discipline)  the  sword  had  interposed  and  forced  men  to  those  public 
confessions  of  sin  and  professions  of  repentance,  to  which  I  have  per- 
suaded them  by  the  light  of  God's  word,  it  would  have  left  me  (and 
I  believe  the  church  too)  very  much  dissatisfied  with  them  ;  imagin- 
ing they  only  complied  with  it  because  they  were  forced. — I  am  the 
less  sorry.that  the  magistrate  doth  so  little  interpose,  on  account  of 
that  blind,  confused  zeal  which  so  much  prevails  amongst  us.     Per- 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  343 

sons  of  every  party  are  so  confident  that  they  are  in  the  right,  and  lay 
such  stress  upon  many  opinions  of  their  own,  as  if  life  or  death  de- 
pended upon  them  ;  making  a  great  outcry  against  whatever  are  call- 
ed errors  by  their  own  party,  without  knowing  what  they  are,  or  how 
to  confute  them,  or  which  are  tolerable  in  the  church,  and  which  in- 
tolerable :  If  the  sword  were  in  such  envious,  angry  hands,  there 
would  be  little  quiet  to  the  church.  This  may  possibly  make  the  ma- 
gistrate think  fit  to  let  us  fight  it  out  with  our  naked  fists,  and  not  to 
put  swords  into  our  hands  till  we  are  more  sober,  and  know  better  how 
to  use  them.  As  long  as  he  does  not  prevent  us  from  exercising  that 
kind  of  discipline  which  has  now  been  recommended,  I  fear  not  but, 
by  the  blessing  of  God,  a  prudent,  resolute,  unanimous  ministry  will, 
in  general,  be  able  to  bring  persons  to  submit  to  it,  so  as  to  answer, 
very  important  purposes. 

I  shall  conclude  this  subject  with  earnestly  requesting  my  brethren 
in  the  ministry  speedily  and  faithfully  to  put  in  execution,  at  least,  all 
the  unquestionable  part  of  the  discipline  for  which  I  have  been  con- 
tending. 

1.  Consider  how  sinful  the  neglect  of  it  is,  and  how  dangerous  with 
respect  to  yourselves.  It  is  indeed  a  sad  case  that  good  men,  under 
so  much  liberty,  should  settle  themselves  so  long  in  the  constant  ne- 
glect of  so  great  a  duty.  In  our  preaching  to  our  people,  we  make  it  a 
bad  sign  to  live  in  the  wilful,  continued  omission  of  any  known  duty  : 
and  shall  we  do  so  year  after  year,  and  even  all  our  days  ? — We  plainly 
manifest  sloth  and  laziness  herein,  if  not  unfaithfulness  in  the  work  of 
Christ.  I  speak  from  experience  :  laziness  pleaded  hard  against 
this  duty,  and  long  kept  me  from  it.  It  is  indeed  a  troublesome  and 
painful  work,  and  calls  for  some  self-denial,  as  it  will  expose  us  to  the 
displeasure  of  the  wicked.  But  dare  we  prefer  our  carnal  ease  or  the 
love  of  wicked  men  before  our  duty  to  Christ  our  master  ?  Can  such 
slothful  servants  look  for  a  good  reward  ? 

2.  The  neglect  of  discipline  has  a  strong  tendency  to  the  delud- 
ing of  souls;  by  making  men  think  that  they  are  christians  when 
they  are  not,  because  they  are  not,  by  God's  ordinance,  separated  from 
such  as  are  ;  and  by  making  scandalous  sinners  think  their  sin  tolerable, 
because  it  is  so  tolerated  by  the  pastors  of  the  church.  We  hereby  cor- 
rupt Christianity  itself  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  and  do  our  part  to  make 
them  believe,  that  to  be  a  christian  is  only  to  be  of  such  or  such  an  opin- 
ion, and  that  the  christian  religion  requires  holiness  no  more  than  the 
false  religions  of  the  world.  If  the  holy  and  unholy  are  all  permitted 
to  be  sheep  of  the  same  fold^  without  the  use  of  Christ's  means  to  dis- 


344  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

tinguish  them,  we  do  our  part  to  defame  Christ  by  it,  and  to  make  it 
appear  as  if  this  were  according  to  his  institutions. 

3.  By  the  neglect  of  discipline  you  encourage  separation.  If  you 
will  not  by  this  means  distinguish  between  '  the  precious  and  the 
vile,  the  people  will  do  it  by  withdrawing  from  you  ;  which  many  hon- 
est christians  will  think  they  are  necessitated  to  do.  Nor  can  you 
wonder,  if  you  keep  a  number  of  scandalous  sinners  in  your  church- 
es without  ever  reproving  them,  that  some  timorous  souls  should  run 
out  of  them,  as  out  of  an  edifice  which  they  apprehend  ready  to  fall. 

I  have  known  many  who  have  separated  merely  on  this  account. 

4.  By  this  neglect  we  do  much  to  bring  the  wrath  of  God  upon 
ourselves  and  our  congregations,  and  so  to  blast  the  fruit  of  our  la- 
bours. If'  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Thyatira  '  (Rev.  ii.  20 — 23.) 
was  reproved  for  suffering  seducers  in  it,  and  those  who  joined  with 
them  were  so  severely  threatened,  surely  we  deserve  reproof  on  the 
same  ground,  for  suffering  open,  scandalous,  impenitent  sinners  among 
us,  and  have  reason  to  fear  the  execution  of  this  threatening  upon 
our  churches. 

But  against  all  that  I  have  said  in  behalf  of  discipline  you  will 
plead,  "  Our  people  are  not  ready  for  it :  they  will  not  yet  bear  it." 
But  is  not  the  meaning  of  this,  that  you  will  not  bear  the  trouble  and 
hatred  which  it  will  occasion  ?  I  beseech  you,  in  order  that  you  may 
make  a  comfortable  account  to  the  'chief shepherd,'  and  that  you  may 
not  be  found  '  unfaithful  in  the  house  of  God,'  that  you  do  not  shrink 
from  duty  because  of  the  trouble  to  the  flesh,  that  may  attend  it.  Re- 
member for  your  encouragement,  that  the  most  costly  duties  are  usu- 
ally the  most  comfortable  :  and  you  may  be  sure  that  Christ  will  bear 
the  cost. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OF  THE  MOTIVES  TO  PASTORAL  FIDELITY  IN  GENERAL,    SUGGESTED 
IN  THE  TEXT. 

The  first  thing  proposed  has  now  been  fully  handled,  which  was 
to  point  out  and  recommend  the  several  parts  of  the  ministerial  of- 
fice :  we  therefore  proceed  to  the  second  ;  which  is  "  to  consider  the 
motives  suggested  in  the  text,  to  a  diligent  performance  of  them." 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  345 

The  Lord  grant  that  they  may  work  upon  us  all  according  to  their 
truth  and  importance. 

I.  The  nature  of  our  office  obliges  us  to  '  take  heed  to  all  the 
flock  :'  we  are  styled  overseers. 

And  for  what  else  are  we  overseers?*  To  be  a  bishop  or  pastor 
is  not  to  be  set  up  as  an  idol  for  the  people  to  bow  to ;  or  to  be  (what 
the  apostle  calls  the  Cretans)  '  evil  beasts,  slow  bellies  ;'  (Tit.  i. 
12.)  to  live  to  our  fleshy  delight  and  ease ;  but  it  is  to  be  the  guide  of 
sinners  to  salvation.  It  is  a  sad  thing  that  men  should  undertake  a 
calling  of  which  they  know  not  the  nature  ;  which,  with  too  many,  is 
evidently  the  case.  Do  those  persons  know  and  consider  what  they 
Jiave  undertaken,  who  live  in  ease  and  pleasure  ?  Who  have  time  to 
take  their  superfluous  recreations,  and  spend  it  in  loitering  or  in  vain 
discourses,  when  so  much  work  lies  upon  their  hands  ?  Brethren,  do 
you  consider  where  you  stand,  and  what  you  have  taken  upon  you  ? 
You  have,  under  Christ,  undertaken  a  band  of  his  soldiers  'against 
principalities  and  powers,  and  spiritual  wickednesses  in  high  places  :' 
you  must  lead  them  on  in  the  sharpest  conflicts ;  you  must  acquaint 
them  with  the  enemy's  stratagems  and  assaults  ;  you  must  watch 
yourselves,  and  keep  them  watching.  If  you  miscarry,  they  and  you 
may  perish.  You  have  a  subtile  enemy ;  and  therefore  you  must  be 
wise  :  you  have  a  vigilant  enemy  ;  therefore  you  must  be  vigilant : 
you  have  a  malicious,  violent,  and  unwearied  enemy  ;  and  therefore 
you  must  be  resolute,  courageous,  and  unwearied.  You  are  in  a 
crowd  of  enemies,  encompassed  with  them  on  every  side;  so  that  if 
you  do  not  take  particular  heed  to  every  one  of  them,  you  will  quick- 
ly fall. — And  oh  !  what  a  world  of  work  have  you  to  do  !  Had  you 
but  ONE  ignorant  person  to  teach,  though  willing  to  learn,  v.hat  a  te- 
dious task  would  it  be  !  How  much  more  difficult  then  would  it  be  if 
that  person  were  as  unwilling  as  ignorant !  But  to  have  such  multi- 
tudes of  these  as  most  of  us  have,  will  find  us  work  indeed  !  How 
much  wickedness  have  we  sometimes  to  contend  against  in  one  soul  ! 
And  what  a  number  of  such  wicked  persons  have  we  to  deal  with! 
What  deep  rooting  have  their  sins  taken,  and  under  what  disadvan- 
tage must  truth  come  to  them !  What  strangers  are  they  to  the  heav- 
enly message  we  bring  them  !  They  frequently  know  not  what  you  say, 
though  you  speak  to  them  in  the  plainest  language.  And  when  you 
think  you  have  done  them  some  good,  you  leave  your  seed  among  the 
'  fowls  of  the  air.'     Wicked  men  are  at  hand  to  contradict  all  that  you 

*  Episcopus  est  nomen  quod  plus  oneris  quam   honoris  significat,     Polyd. 
Virg.  p.  240. 

44 


346 


THE  REI'OKMED   PASTOR 


have  said  ;  who  will  cavil  at  and  slander  you  that  thoy  may  disgrace 
your  message,  and  that  they  may  deride  and  scorn  them  away  from 
Christ :  thus  they  quickly  extinguish  the  good  beginnings  whicli  you 
hoped  you  had  seen.  They  use  indeed  weaker  reasons  than  yours ; 
but  such  as  come  with  more  advantage,  being  taken  from  things 
Xvhich  they  see  and  feel,  and  which  are  befriended  by  the  flesh  :  be- 
sides, they  are  more  familiarly  and  importunately  urged.  You  speak 
but  once  to  a  sinner  for  ten  or  twenty  times  that  the  messengers  of 
Satan  do.  Moreover,  how  easily  do  the  '  cares  and  businesses  of  the 
world  choke  and  devour  the  seed'  which  you  had  sown,  and  how  ea- 
sily will  a  frozen,  carnal  heart  (had  it  no  external  enemies)  extinguish 
those  sparks,  which  you  have  been  long  in  kindling !  Yea,  for 
want  of  fuel  and  further  help,  they  will  go  out  of  themselves.  Among 
what  abundance  of  distempers,  lusts,  and  passions  do  you  cast  your 
words,  where  they  are  likely  to  meet  with  but  a  poor  entertainment ! 
And  when  you  think  your  work  doth  happily  succeed,  seeing  men  un- 
der trouble,  confessing  their  sins,  promising  reformation,  and  living 
as  new  creatures  and  zealous  converts,  they  will  often  prove  unsound  ; 
to  have  been  but  superficially  changed  ;  to  have  taken  up  new  opin- 
ions, and  new  company,  without  a  new  heart.  O  how  many  persons 
(after  some  considerable  change  in  them  has  taken  place)  are  deceiv- 
ed by  the  profits,  the  honours,  or  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  and 
'  again  entangled  in  their  former  lusts  !'  Nay,  how  soon  do  even  the 
graces  of  the  saints  themselves  languish,  if  you  neglect  them;  and 
how  easily  are  they  drawn  into  shameful  ways,  to  the  dishonour  of 
the  gospel,  as  well  as  their  own  loss  and  sorrow  I  O  brethren,  what  a 
field  of  labour  is  before  us !  There  is  not  a  person  you  can  see,  but 
may  find  you  work  !  You  sec  what  the  work  of  a  minister  is,  and  what 
a  life  he  hath  to  lead.  Exert  yourselves  then  with  all  your  might. 
In  order  to  quicken  you  the  more,  let  me  beg  you  to  attend  to  the  fol- 
lowing considerations. 

1.  Consider  the  office  of  an  overseeu  was  your  own  voluntary  un- 
dertaking.    No  man  is  forced  to  be  an  overseer  of  the   church :  docs 

not  common  honesty  then  require  you  to  be  true  to  your  trust '?  | 

2.  Consider  also  the  honour  that  is  connected  with  your  office  as        ^ 
an  encouragement  to  labour.     A  great  honour  indeed  it  is,  to  be  the 

'  ambassadors  of  God,'  and  the  instruments  of  men's  conversion  and 
salvation  ;  to  'save  souls  from  death  and  cover  a  multitude  of  sins.'— 
For  ministers  to  strive  for  precedency,  and  fill  the  world  with  wide 
contentions  about  the  dignity  and  superiority  of  their  office,  shews 
that  they  forget  the  nature  and  work  of  that  office   they   strive   about. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  347 

The  honour  is  but  the  appendix  to  the  work.  If  ministers  would 
faithfully  and  humbly  lay  out  themselves  for  Christ  and  his  church, 
without  thinkinor  of  titles  and  reputation,  they  should  then  have  hon- 
our whether  they  would  or  not :  whereas  by  gaping  after  it  they  lose 
it. 

3.  Consider  that  you  have  many  privileges  belonging  to  your  of- 
iice,  which  should  engage  you  to  diligence  in  it.  It  is  no  small  thing 
ihat  you  are  maintained  by  other  men's  labours.  This  is  for  your 
work,  that  you  may  not  be  taken  off  from  it,  but  that  (as  Paul  requires) 
you  may  '  give  yourselves  wholly  to  these  things,'  (I  Tim.  iv.  15.) 
and  not  be  forced  to  neglect  men's  souls,  while  you  are  providing  for 
your  own  bodies.  Either  do  the  work,  or  take  not  the  maintenance. — 
Besides,  it  ought  to  be  considered  as  a  great  privilege  to  be  bred  up 
to  learning,  while  many  others  are  brought  up  at  the  plough  and  cart ; 
to  be  furnished  with  so  much  delightful  knowledge,  when  the  world 
lies  in  ignorance  ;  and  to  converse  with  learned  men  about  sublime 
and  glorious  things,  while  many  others  are  conversant  with  none  but 
the  most  vulgar  and  illiterate. — But  especially,  what  an  excellent  pri- 
vilege is  it,  to  live  in  studying  and  preaching  Christ !  to  be  continu- 
ally searching  into  his  mysteries,  or  feeding  on  them  !  to  be  daily 
employed  in  contemplating  the  blessed  nature,  works,  and  ways  of 
God  !  Others  are  glad  of  the  leisure  of  the  Lord's  day,  and  now  and 
then  an  hour  besides  when  they  can  lay  hold  of  it ;  but  we  may  keep 
a  continual  sabbath.  We  may  almost  do  nothing  else  but  study  and 
talk  of  God  and  glory;  engage  in  acts  of  prayer  and  praise,  and  drink 
in  sacred  and  saving  truths.  Our  employment  is  all  sublime  and 
spiritual.  Whether  we  are  alone,  or  in  company,  our  business  is  for 
another  world.  O  that  our  hearts  were  but  more  disposed  for  this 
work!  what  a  blessed,  joyful  life  sliould  we  then  live!  How  sweet 
would  the  study  be  to  us  !  how  pleasant  the  pulpit !  and  what  delight 
would  our  conferences  yield  !  What  excellent  helps  do  our  libraries 
afford ;  where  we  have  such  a  variety  of  wise,  silent  companions, 
whenever  we  please  !  Surely  all  these,  and  more  such  privileges  at- 
tending the  ministry,  bespeak  our  unwearied  diligence  in  the  work. 
Once  more, 

4.  [Consider  the  interest  which  all  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ 
have  in  their  master's  regards.]  You  are  related  to  Christ  as  well  as 
to  the  flock,  and  he  is  related  to  you.  If  therefore  you  are  faithful 
in  your  work,  you  are  not  only  advanced,  but  secured  by  the  relation. 
You  are  '  the  stewards  of  his  mysteries,  and  the  rulers  of  his  house- 
hold :'  and  he  that  intrusted  you  with   his  work,  will   maintain  you  in 


348  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

it.  But  then  '  it  is  required  of  a  steward  that  a  man  be  found  faith- 
ful.' Be  true  to  him,  and  never  doubt  of  his  being  true  to  you.  Do 
you  feed  his  flock  1  He  will  sooner  feed  you  as  he  did  Elijah,  than 
forsake  you.  In  the  midst  of  enemies,  he  will  '  give  you  a  tonguo 
and  wisdom  which  none  shall  resist."  If  you  willingly  put  your  hand 
to  his  plough,  he  will  wither  the  hand  that  is  stretched  out  against 
you.  His  faithful  ministers  have  always  had  large  experience  of  his 
care.  He  who  knows  that  he  serves  a  God  who  will  never  suffer  any 
man  to  be  a  loser  by  him,  needs  not  fear  what  hazards  he  runs  in  his 
cause:  and  he  who  knows  that  he  is  seeking  a  prize  which,  if  obtain- 
ed, will  infinitely  exceed  his  cost,  may  boldly  engage  his  whole  es- 
tate on  it,  and  "  sell  all  he  has  to  purchase  so  rich  a  pearl."     The 

II.  Motive  to  fidelity,  which  our  text  suggests,  is  taken  from  the 
person  by  whom  ministers  are  invested  with  their  office,  viz.  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost : — "  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you 
overseers." 

This  divine  agent  is  said  to  make  bishops  or  pastors,  not  merely 
because  he  has  determined  in  his  word  that  there  shall  be  such  an  of- 
fice— what  the  work  and  power  shall  be — and  what  sort  of  men  shall 
receive  it;  but  also  because  he  qualifies  men  for  the  office, — because 
he  directs  those  that  ordain  them,  to  discern  their  qualifications, — and 
because  he  directs  them  and  the  people  themselves,  in  fixing  them 
over  a  particular  charge.  These  were  done,  in  the  first  ages  of  Chris- 
tianity, in  an  extraordinary  manner  by  inspiration.  But,  when  men 
are  rightly  called,  they  are  made  overseers  of  the  church  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  i.  e,  by  the  ordinary  influences  of  the  same  Spirit,  now  as  well 
as  then.  What  an  obligation  then  is  laid  upon  us  by  our  call !  If  our 
commission  be  from  heaven,  it  is  not  to  be  disobeyed.  When  Paul 
was  called  by  the  voice  of  Christ  to  preach  the  gospel,  he  "  was  not 
disobedient  to  the  heavenly  vision."  When  the  apostles  were  called 
by  our  Lord,  from  their  secular  employments,  they  immediately  "  left 
their  friends  and  houses,  and  trade,  and  all,  and  followed  him." 
Though  our  call  be  not  so  immediate  or  extraordinary,  it  is  from  the 
same  Spirit,  and  therefore  ought  to  be  as  readily  obeyed.  It  is  not  a 
safe  course  to  imitate  Jonah,  in  turning  our  backs  upon  the  com- 
mands of  God.  If  we  neglect  our  work,  he  has  a  spur  to  quicken 
us.  If  we  run  from  it,  he  has  messengers  enough  to  overtake  us,  to 
bring  us  back  and  make  us  do  it :  and  certainly  it  is  better  to  do  it  at 
first  than  at  last.     The 

III.  Motive  in  the  'text  to  diligence  in  our  work,  is  taken  from 
die  dignity  of  the  object,  viz.  the  church  of  God." 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  349 

It  is  that  church  for  which  the  world  is  upheld  ;  which  is  sanctified 
by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  which  is  united  to  Christ ;  and  which  is  his  mys- 
tical body. — That  church  with  which  angels  are  present ;  and  on 
which  they  attend  as  '  ministering  spirits  ;'  whose  very  'little  ones  have 
their  angels  beholding  the  face  of  God  in  heaven.'  O  what  a  charge 
is  it  that  we  have  undertaken  !  And  shall  we  be  unfaithful  to  it  ? 
Have  we  the  stewardship  of  God's  own  family,  and  shall  we  neglect 
it  ?  Have  we  the  conduct  of  those  saints  who  are  to  live  for  ever 
with  God  in  glory,  and  shall  we  omit  our  duty  to  them  ?  God  forbid  ! 
Are  the  souls  of  men  thought  meet  by  God  to  see  his  face,  and  live 
for  ever  in  his  presence  1  and  are  they  not  worthy  of  your  utmost  cost 
and  labour  1  Do  not  think  so  meanly  of  the  church  of  God,  as  if  it 
deserved  not  your  highest  regards.  Were  you  the  keepers  of  swine 
or  sheep,  you  would  scarcely  let  them  go,  and  say  they  were  not  worth 
looking  after  ;  especially  if  they  were  your  own  :  dare  you  then  neg- 
lect the  souls  of  men,  even  the  church  of  God? — Remember  Christ 
'  walks  among  them  :  the  praises  of  the  most  high  God  are  in  the 
midst  of  them.  They  are  a  chosen  generation;  a  sanctified,  peculiar 
people ;  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation  ;  to  shew  forth  the  praises 
of  him  that  called  them.'  What  an  honour  is  it  to  be  one  of  them, 
though  but  a  '  door-keeper  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  !'  Surely  then  to 
be  the  Priest  of  these  priests,  and  the  Ruler  of  these  kings,  is  such 
an  honour,  is  such  a  noble  employment,  as  multiplies  your  obligations 
to  diligence  and  fidelity. 

IV.  The  last  motive  mentioned  in  the  text  to  "  take  heed  to  the 
flock,  and  feed  the  church  of  God,"  is,  the  Price  that  was  paid  for  it. 

It  is  spoken  of  as  '  purchased  by  his  blood  :'  i.  e.  by  the  blood 
of  Christ,  who  (by  the  way)  is  here  expressly  called  God.  God  the 
Son  did  purchase  the  church  with  his  own  blood.  What  an  argu- 
ment is  here  to  quicken  the  negligent,  and  to  condemn  those  that 
will  not  be  quickened  !  What !  shall  we  despise  the  blood  of  Christ  ? 
Shall  we  think  it  was  shed  for  such  as  are  not  worthy  of  our  care  ? — 
The  guilt  of  negligent  pastors  is  certainly  great,  since,  as  much  as  in 
them  lies,  they  make  the  blood  of  Christ  to  be  shed  in  vain.  They 
would  lose  him  those  souls,  whom  he  has  so  dearly  bought. — When- 
ever we  feel  ourselves  grow  dull  and  careless,  let  us  imagine  we  heard 
the  blessed  Saviour  arguing  with  us  to  this  eflfect :  "  Did  I  die  for 
those  souls,  and  wilt  not  thou  look  after  them  1  Were  they  worth  my 
blood,  and  are  they  not  worth  thy  care  1  Did  I  come  down  from 
heaven  to  earth  '  to  seek  and  to  save  them  that  were  lost,'  and  wilt 


350  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR, 

not  thou  go  to  the  next  door  or  street  or  village  to  seek  them  ?  How 
small  is  thy  labour  or  condescension  in  comparison  with  mine?  I 
debased  myself  to  this;  but  it  is  thy  honour  to  be  so  employed.  Have 
I  done  and  suffered  so  much  for  the  salvation  of  men,  and  was  I  wil- 
ling to  make  thee  a  co-worker  with  me,  and  wilt  thou  refuse  the  little 
that  lies  upon  thy  hands  ?" 

Every  time  we  look  upon  our  congregations,  let  us  believingly  re- 
member that  they  are  the  purchase  of  Christ's  blood  ;  and  let  us  re- 
gard them  accordingly.  Let  us  often  think  in  what  confusion  a  neg- 
ligent minister  will  be  at  the  last  day,  to  have  the  blood  of  the  Son 
of  God  pleaded  against  him  ;  and  to  hear  Christ  say,  "  Thou  didst 
make  light  of  the  purchase  of  my  blood,  and  canst  thou  now  hope  to 
be  saved  by  it  thyself?" — O  brethren !  since  Christ  will  bring  his 
blood  to  plead  [at  God's  righteous  bar]  let  it  now  effectually  plead 
with  us  to  do  our  duty,  lest  it  should  then  plead  against  us  to  our 
damnation  ! 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

OF  THE  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  COURSE   OF  MINISTERIAL  DUTY  RECOM- 
MENDED ;    PARTICULARLY  PERSONAL  INSTRUCTION. 

It  is  a  hard  case  that  so  good  a  master  as  ours,  in  so  good  a  work, 
should  have  servants  so  bad  as  to  plead  against  their  duty  when  they 
should  practise  it :  especially  that  good  men  should  be  so  backward 
to  it  as  to  need  many  words  to  excite  them  to  the  diligent  perform- 
ance of  it.  Yet  alas  !  this  is  too  common  a  case. — I  have  no  great 
fear  of  any  opposition  from  conscience,  or  unbiassed  reason  ;  but  on- 
ly from  unwillingness,  and  from  reason  biassed  by  the  flesh.  [This 
will  suggest  many  objections  ;  the  principal  of  which  shall  now  be 
considered  and  answered  ;  which  was  the  Third  thing  proposed.] 

I.  Perhaps  some  will  object  to  what  is  said  about  personal  in- 
struction, "  That  their  congregations  are  so  large  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  them  to  know  all  their  hearers  ;  much  more  to  take  heed  to 
every  individual. 

But  let  me  ask  such  persons, — Was  it  necessary  for  you  to  take 
upon  you  such  a  charge  ?  If  not,  you  excuse  one  sin  by  another. 
How  durst  you  undertake  what  you  knew  yourselves  unable  to   per- 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  351 

form?  If  it  was  in  a  manner  necessary,  might  you  not  have  procur- 
ed some  assistance  ?  Have  you  not,  or  could  not  you  get  a  mainte- 
nance sufficient  for  yourselves  and  another  to  help  you  ?  What 
though  it  will  not  serve  to  support  you  in  fulness,  is  it  not  more  rea- 
sonable that  you  should  pinch  your  flesh  and  families  ;  than  undertake 
a  work  you  cannot  do,  and  neglect  the  souls  of  so  many  of  your  flock  1 
With  me  it  is  an  unquestionable  thing  (though  it  will  seem  hard  to 
some)  that  it  is  your  duty,  if  you  can,  to  live  upon  part  of  your  sala- 
ry, and  allow  the  rest  to  a  competent  assistant.  Do  not  many  fami- 
lies in  your  parish  live  on  less  than  you  would  then  have  ?  Have  not 
many  able  ministers  been  glad  of  less,  with  liberty  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel ?  Can  your  parishioners  endure  damnation  better  than  you  can 
poverty  1  What  !  do  you  call  yourselves  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and 
yet  esteem  the  souls  of  men  so  little,  as  that  you  had  rather  they 
should  eternally  perish,  than  that  you  and  your  families  should  live  in 
a  low  condition  ?  Ought  you  not  rather  to  beg  your  bread,  than  hazard 
the  salvation  of  one  soul  ?  If  you  have  but  'food  and  raiment,  you 
ought  therewith  to  be  content.'  What!  would  you  have  more  than 
is  sufficient  to  enable  you  for  the  work  of  God  ?  '  A  man's  life  con- 
sisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  things  which  he  possesses.'  (Luke 
xii.  15.)  If  your  clothing  be  warm,  and  your  food  wholesome,  you 
may  be  as  well  supported  by  it,  to  do  God's  work,  as  if  you  enjoy- 
ed the  greatest  affluence.  He  that  has  these,  has  but  a  poor  excuse 
for  hazarding  men's  souls,  that  he  may  enjoy  more  of  this  world's 
good.  Remember  how  strongly  our  blessed  master  recommends 
self  denial  to  all  his  servants.  They  that  will  not  exercise  it,  are  so 
far  from  being  his  ministers,  that  they  are  not  his  true  disciples. — If 
your  circumstances  are  such  that  proper  assistance  cannot  be  procur- 
ed, then  you  should  undertake  your  charge  with  limitation.  But  do 
not  omit  the  work  of  personal  oversight  entirely,  nor  refuse  dealing 
particularly  with  any,  because  you  cannot  do  it  with  all  :  take  this 
course  with  as  many  as  you  are  able,  and  put  your  godly  neighbours, 
especially  parents  and  masters  of  families,  upon  doing  the  more. 
Again, 

II.  Some  may  object,  that  "  The  course  recommended  will  re- 
quire too  much  time,  and  will  not  allow  so  much  as  is  necessary  for 
ministers  (young  men  especially)  to  follow  their  studies,  and  improve 
their  own  abilities. 

I  answer,  the  persons  whom  I  am  persuading  to  this  work,  are 
supposed  to  understand  the  substance  of  the  christian  religion,  and  to 
be  able  to  teach  others  :  and  the  addition  of  less  necessary  things,  is 


35*2  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

not  to  be  preferred  to  the  communication  of  what  are  fundamentally 
necessary.  I  highly  value  common  knowledge,  and  would  not  en- 
courage any  to  set  light  by  it ;  but  I  value  the  saving  of  souls  more. 
That  which  is  immediately  necessary,  ought  to  be  done,  whatever  else 
is  left  undone.  It  is  a  very  desirable  thing  for  a  physician  to  be  well 
studied  in  his  art ;  but  if  he  would  be  inquiring  even  into  the  most 
useful  subjects  when  he  should  be  looking  to  his  patients ;  and  should 
tell  them  that  he  has  not  time  to  give  them  advice,  because  he  must 
follow  his  own  studies,  I  should  esteem  that  man  a  preposterous  stu- 
dent, who  thus  preferred  the  means  to  the  very  end  itself:  indeed  I 
should  think  such  a  physician  to  be  but  a  civil  kind  of  a  murderer  ; 
[nor  can  such  a  minister  be  looked  upon  in  a  better  light.]  Men's 
souls  may  be  saved  without  your  knowing  whether  God  did  predeter- 
mine the  creature  in  all  its  acts  :  whether  the  understanding  necessa- 
rily determines  the  will,  &-c.  &c.  Get  well  to  Heaven,  and  help 
your  people  thither,  and  you  shall  know  all  these  things  in  a  moment, 
and  a  thousand  more,  of  which  now,  by  all  your  studies,  you  cannot 
gain  a  certain  knowledge.  This  is  the  most  certain  and  expeditious 
way  to  the  attainment  of  it. — But  consider  further. 

If,  by  the  diligent  practice  of  the  ministerial  duties,  you  are  pre- 
vented from  acquiring  an  extensive  knowledge,  you  will  hereby  im- 
prove more  in  that  which  is  most  excellent.  If  you  know  not  so 
many  things  as  others,  you  will  know  the  most  important  matters  bet- 
ter than  they.  And  a  little  of  this  kind  of  knowledge,  is  worth  all 
the  other  knowledge  in  the  world.  When  I  am  looking  heaven-ward, 
gazing  towards  the  inaccessible  light,  and  aspiring  after  the  knowl- 
edge of  God,  and  find  my  soul  so  dark  and  distant,  and  consider  how 
little  I  know  of  God,  and  how  much  he  is  out  of  my  reach,  I  find  this 
the  most  killing  and  grievous  ignorance.  Methinks  I  could  willingly 
exchange  all  the  other  knowledge  I  have,  for  one  glimpse  more  of 
God  and  the  life  to  come.  Now,  by  frequent  serious  conversation 
about  everlasting  things,  by  diligently  instructing  and  catechising 
your  people,  you  will  gain  more  of  this  kind  of  knowledge,  than  can 
be  gained  by  any  other  means ;  and  thus  you  will  really  grow  wiser 
than  those  that  spend  their  time  in  any  other  way  whatever.  As 
Theology  is  a  practical  science,  the  knowledge  of  it  thrives  best  in  a 
practical  course.  Laying  out  here,  is  a  means  of  gathering  in ;  a 
hearty  endeavour  to  communicate  and  do  good  is  one  of  the  greatest 
helps  to  our  own  proficiency.  So  that  by  this  means  you  are  likely 
to  become  more  able  pastors  of  the  church,  than  private  studies  alone 
can  make  you.     Particularly  it  will  be  an  excellent  means  to  help  you 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  353 

in  preaching  ;  for  when  you  are  well  acquainted  with  your  people's 
cases,  you  will  know  what  to  preach  upon  :  an  hour's  conversation 
will  lurnisii  vou  with  as  much  matter  as  an  hour's  study.  As  he  will 
be  the  best  physician  and  lawyer,  so  he  also  will  be  the  best  divine, 
who  adds  practice  and  experience  proportionable  to  his  studies  : 
whereas  that  man  will  prove  a  useless  drone,  who  refuses  God's  ser- 
vice all  his  life,  under  a  pretence  of  preparing  for  it;  and  lets  men's 
souls  pass  on  to  perdition,  while  he  pretends  to  be  studying  how  to 
recover  them,  or  getting  more  ability  to  help  and  save  them. 

However,  let  me  add,  that  though  I  esteem  religious  knowledge 
the  chief,  I  would  have  you  to  acquire  other  knowledge  too.  The 
other  sciences  may  be  very  useful,  and  indeed,  subservient  to  this  : 
and  you  may  have  competent  time  for  both.  Lose  none  upon  vain 
recreations  and  amusements ;  trifle  not  away  a  minute  ;  consume 
none  in  needless  sleep  ;  do  what  you  do  with  all  your  might;  and 
then  see  what  time  you  may  command.  If  you  set  apart  two  days  in 
a  week  for  the  work  of  personal  instruction,  you  may  find  time  enough 
for  your  common  studies  out  of  all  the  rest.  Duties  are  to  be  taken 
together  :  none  are  to  be  neglected  that  can  be  performed,  but  the 
greatest  should  always  be  preferred.  But  if  there  were  such  a  case 
of  necessity,  that  we  could  not  read  or  study  for  ourselves  and  instruct 
the  ignorant  too,  I  would  throw  by  all  the  libraries  in  the  world  rath- 
er than  be  guilty  of  the  perdition  of  one  soul :  at  least  1  know  that 
this  would  be  my  duty. 

III.  It  will  be  objected  by  many,  "  that  this  course  will  destroy 
our  health,  by  continually  spending  our  spirits,  without  allowing  time 
for  necessary  recreations." 

I  answer,  we  may  do  our  duty,  and  have  time  for  necessary  re- 
creations too.  An  hour  or  half  an  hour's  walk  before  meat,  is  as  much 
recreation  as  is  necessary  for  the  weaker  sort  of  students.  I  have 
reason  to  know  something  of  this  by  long  experience.  Though  I  have 
a  body  which  has  languished  under  great  weaknesses  many  years,  and 
which  requires  me  to  take  as  much  exercise  as  almost  any  person  in 
the  world,  yet  I  have  found  the  above  proportion  sufficient.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly our  duty  to  use  as  much  exercise  as  is  necessary  for  the 
preservation  of  our  health  ;  so  far  our  work  requires  it;  otherwise, 
for  one  day's  work  we  should  lose  the  opportunity  of  many :  and  this 
may  be  done  very  consistently  with  all  the  duties  I  have  been  recom- 
mending. 

As  for  those  men  that  limit  not  their  recreations  to  stated  hours  ; 
who  must  have  them,  not  to  fit  them  for  their  work,  but  to  please 
45 


354  TIIK   RETORMED  l'A.ST(»K. 

their  voluptuous  humour,  such  sensualists  have  need  to  study  the  na- 
ture of  Christianity  better  ;  to  learn  the  danger  of  "  living  after  the 
flesh,"  and  to  get  more  mortification  and  self-denial,  before  they 
preach  to  others.  If  you  must  have  your  pleasures,  you  should  not 
have  put  yourselves  into  a  calling  which  requires  you  to  make  God 
and  his  service  your  pleasure,  and  which  restrains  you  so  much  from 
carnal  gratifications.  Do  you  not  know  that  the  christian  warfare 
consisteth  in  the  conibat  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit?  That  the 
very  diflTorence  between  a  christian  and  a  wicked  man  is,  that  the  one 
"  lives  after  the  spirit,  mortifying  the  deeds  of  the  body,"  and  the 
other  "  lives  after  the  flesh  ?"  And  that  to  overcome  the  flesh  is  the 
principal  part  of  that  victory,  on  which  the  crown  of  life  depends? 
If  notwithstanding  this,  yon  must  have  your  pleasures,  then  for  shame 
give  over  preaching  of  the  gospel  and  the  profession  of  Christianity, 
and  profess  yourselves  to  be  what  you  are  ;  for  as  you  "  sow  to  the 
flesh,  so  of  the  flesh,  shall  you  receive  the  wages  of  corruption."  Does 
such  an  one  as  Paul  say,  "  I  keep  under  my  body  and  bring  it  into 
subjection  lest,  that  by  any  means,  when  I  have  preached  to  others,  I 
myself  should  be  cast  away?"  (1  Cor.  iv.  27.)  And  have  not  such 
sinners  as  we  need  to  do  so  too  ?  Shall  we  pamper  our  bodies,  when 
Paul  kept  his  under  ?  Did  he  bring  it  into  subjection,  lest  after  all 
his  preaching  he  should  be  cast  away  ?  And  have  not  we  much 
MORE  cause  to  fear  it?  Some  pleasure  is  undoubtedly  lawful,  namely, 
such  as  tends  to  fit  us  for  our  work.  But  for  a  man  to  be  so  far  in 
love  with  his  pleasures  as,  for  the  sake  of  them,  to  waste  his  precious 
time,  and  neglect  the  work  of  God  for  men's  salvation,  (especially  to 
plead  for  this  as  necessary,  and  to  justify  himself  in  it)  is  a  degree  of 
wickedness  inconsistent  with  the  fidelity  of  a  common  christian  ;  much 
more  with  that  of  a  Christian  Minister.  Such  wretches  as  are  "lovers 
of  pleasure  more  than  lovers  of  God,"  are  more  fit  to  be  cast  out  of 
christian  communion,  than  to  be  the  chief  in  the  church  :  "  from 
such"  we  are  commanded  "  to  turn  away."  (2  Tim.  iii.  5.) 

Recreations  for  a  student,  must  be  especially  for  the  exercise  oi 
his  body,  since  he  has  continually  before  him  a  variety  of  delights  to 
the  mind :  and  they  must  be  used  (as  whetting  is  by  the  mower)  only 
as  far  as  is  necessary  to  his  work. 

Let  it  be  further  considered  ;  The  business  I  am  recommending 
is  not  of  such  a  nature  as  is  likely  much  to  impair  our  health.  It  is 
true,  it  must  be  serious  ;  but  it  will  not  so  much  spend  our  spirits,  as 
excite  and  revive  them.  Men  can  talk  all  the  day  long  about  other 
matters,  without  any  prejudice  to  their  health  :  why  then  may  not  we 


THE  REFORMED   PASTOK.  355 

talk  with  men  about  their  salvation  without  any  great  detriment  to 
ours  ?  I  only  mean  on  the  supposition  that  we  have  a  tolerable  mea- 
sure of  health  and  strength. — [But  supposing  the  worst  consequence, 
let  me  ask,]  What  have  we  our  time  and  strength  for  but  to  lay  them 
out  for  God  ?  What  is  a  candle  made  for  but  to  be  burnt  ?  Burnt 
and  wasted  we  must  be  ;  and  is  it  not  more  reasonable  that  it  should 
be  in  lighting  men  to  heaven,  and  in  working  for  God,  than  in  living 
to  the  flesh  ?  How  little  difference  is  there  between  the  pleasure  of 
a  long  life  and  a  short  one,  when  both  are  at  an  end  !  What  comfort 
will  it  be  to  you  at  death,  that  you  lengthened  your  life  by  shortening 
your  work  ?  Our  life  is  to  be  estimated  according  to  the  end  and 
business  of  it :  not  according  to  the  mere  duration.  He  that  works 
much,  lives  much.  What  Seneca  said  of  a  drone,  [may  be  applied  to 
an  indolent  minister]  "  ibi  jacet,  non  ibi  vivit ;  et  din  fuit,  non  diu 
vixit."  Will  it  not  comfort  us  more  at  death  to  review  a  short  time 
faithfully  spent,  than  a  long  life  unfaithfully  ? 

As  for  visits  and  civilities,  if  they  can  answer  greater  ends  than 
our  ministerial  employments,  you  may  break  the  sabbath,  or  forbear 
preaching,  for  them,  and  may  thus  excuse  yourselves  from  private  in- 
struction. But  if  not,  how  dare  you  make  them  a  pretence  to  neglect 
so  great  a  duty  ?  Must  God  wait  on  your  friends  1  What  though  they  are 
Gentlemen  or  Lords,  must  they  be  served  before  him  ?  Or  is  their 
displeasure  or  censure  more  to  be  feared  than  his  ?  It  will  be  but  a 
poor  excuse  at  the  last  day  for  neglecting  men's  salvation,  "  that  such 
a  gentleman,  or  such  a  friend  would  have  taken  it  ill  had  you  not 
waited  on  them."  "  H  you  yet  seek  to  please  men,  you  are  no  long- 
er the  servants  of  Christ."  (Gal.  i.  10.)  He  that  dares  to  waste  his 
time  in  compliments,  does  little  consider  what  he  has  to  do  with  it. 
Oh  that  I  could  but  improve  my  time  according  to  my  conviction  of 
the  importance  of  it !  He  that  hath  looked  death  in  the  face  as  often 
as  I  have  done,  will  know  how  to  value  it.  I  profess  I  am  astonish- 
ed at  those  ministers  that  can  find  time  to  hunt  or  shoot,  or  bowl,  or 
use  other  recreations  two  or  three  hours,  yea  days  together  ! — that 
can  sit  an  hour  at  once  in  vain  discourse,  and  spend  whole  days  in 
complimental  visits,  or  journeys  to  the  same  purpose  !  Good  Lord  ! 
what  do  such  men  think  on  ?  when  so  many  souls  about  them  cry  for 
their  help,  and  when  the  smallest  parish  has  work  enough  to  employ 
all  their  diligence,  night  and  day  I  If  you  have  no  sense  of  the  worth 
of  souls  ;  of  the  value  of  that  blood  which  was  shed  for  them,  of  the 
glory  set  before  them  ;  and  of  the  misery  to  which  they  are  exposed, 
then  you  are  no  Christians :  and  therefore  very  unfit  to  be  Ministers ; 


356  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

if  yon  HAVE,  how  dare  you,  like  idle  gossips,  chat  and  trifle  away  your 
time,  when  so  many  and  such  (jreat  works  call  for  it  T — O  precious 
time  !  how  swiftly  does  it  pass  away  !  how  soon  will  it  be  gone  ' 
What  are  the  forty  years  of  my  life  that  are  past  ?  Were  every  day  as 
long  as  a  month,  methinks  it  were  too  short  for  the  work  of  a  day. 
Have  we  not  lost  time  enough  in  the  days  of  our  vanity,  that  we  have 
any  now  to  lose  ?  Never  do  I  come  to  a  dying  man,  who  is  not  utterly 
stupid,  but  he  better  sees  the  worth  of  time  than  others  generally  do. 
O  then,  if  they  could  call  time  back  again,  how  loud  would  they  call  ! 
What  would  they  give  for  it !  Can  we  then  afford  to  trifle  it  away  ? 
Is  it  possible  that  a  man  of  any  true  compassion  and  honesty,  or  any 
concern  about  his  ministerial  duty,  or  any  sense  of  the  strictness  of 
his  account,  should  have  time  to  spare  for  idleness  and  vanity  ?  May 
a  physician  in  the  time  of  the  plague  take  any  more  relaxation  than  is 
necessary  for  his  life  and  health,  when  so  many  are  expecting  his  help 
in  a  case  of  life  or  death  ?  If  his  pleasure  is  not  worth  men's  lives, 
certainly  yours  is  not  worth  men's  souls. 

Do  not  reply,  "  This  is  a  hard  saying,  who  can  bear  it  ?  And 
that  God  does  not  require  ministers  to  make  drudges  of  themselves." 
Surely  those  men  are  not  likely  to  honour  God,  and  promote  his  ser- 
vice, who  have  such  base  thoughts  of  it ;  nor  can  they  delight  in  ho- 
liness who  account  it  a  slavish  work.  Our  Lord  says,  "  he  that  de- 
nieth  not  himself,  and  taketh  not  up  his  cross  to  follow  him,  cannot 
be  his  disciple."  (Matt,  x.  38.)  But  these  men  count  it  a  slavery  to 
labour  hard  in  his  vineyard  at  a  time  when  they  have  all  accommoda- 
tions and  encouragements.  If  they  had  seen  the  diligence  of  Christ 
in  doing  good,  when  he  neglected  his  meat  to  talk  with  one  woman, 
(John  iv.31 — 34.)  and  when  he  was  so  zealous  in  preaching  as  to  "  have 
no  time  to  eat  bread,"  (Mark.  iii.  20,  21.)  they  would  have  been  of 
the  same  mind  with  his  carnal  friends  who  went  to  lay  hold  of  him, 
and  said  "he  is  beside  himself"  If  they  had  seen  him  all  day  in 
preaching  and  healing,  and  "  all  night  in  prayer  to  God,"  they  would 
have  told  him  that  he  made  a  slave  of  himself,  and  that  God  did  not 
require  so  much  ado.  I  cannot  but  advise  such  men  to  search  their 
own  hearts,  and  inquire  whether  they  unfeignedly  believe  that  word 
they  preach.  If  you  do,  Sirs,  how  can  you  think  any  labour  too  much 
for  such  weighty  ends?  If  you  do  not,  say  so;  and  get  you  out  of 
the  vineyard  :  go  with  the  prodigal  to  keep  swine,  and  do  not  under- 
take the  feeding  of  Christ's  flock. 

Do  you  not  know  that  it  is  your  own  benefit  you  grudge  at  ?    The 
more  you  do,  the  more  you  receive  :  the  more  you  lay  out,  the  more 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  357 

you  have  coming  in.  The  exercise  of  grace  increases  it.  And  is  it 
a  slavery  to  be  more  with  God,  and  to  receive  more  from  him,  than 
other  men  1  It  is  the  chief  solace  of  a  gracious  soul  to  be  doing  good, 
and  receiving  good  by  doing  it. — Besides,  hereby  we  are  preparing 
for  fuller  receivings  hereafter.  We  put  out  our  talents  to  usury,  and  by 
improving  them,  shall  make  five  become  ten.  They  who  esteem  the 
service  of  God  as  slavery,  justify  the  profane  who  look  upon  all  dili- 
gent godliness  in  that  light ;  and  hereby  aggravate  their  sin :  and 
while  they  thus  debase  the  work  of  the  Lord,  they  do  but  debase  them- 
selves, and  prepare  for  a  greater  abasement  at  last. 

IV.  Perhaps  some  may  suggest,  "  that  if  we  make  such  severe 
laws  for  ministers,  the  church  will  soon  be  left  without  them,  as  few 
parents  will  choose  such  a  burden  for  their  children,  and  many  per- 
sons will  be  discouraged  from  undertaking  it." 

I  answer,  the  carnal  and  self-seeking  may  be  discouraged,  but  not 
those  that  thirst  after  the  "  winning  of  souls,"  who  are  devoted  to  the 
service  of  God  and  have  "  taken  up  the  cross  to  follow  the  Lamb." — 
Christ  would  not  forbear  telling  the  world  of  the  absolute  necessity  of 
self-denial  for  fear  of  discouraging  men  from  his  service,  but  on  the 
contrary,  declares  that  he  will  have  none  but  such  as  will  submit  to  it, 
and  that  those  who  will  not  come  on  these  terms  may  go  their  way, 
and  see  whether  he  wants  their  service  more  than  they  want  his  pro- 
tection and  favour. — These  laws  which  you  call  severe,  are  not  ours, 
but  what  Christ  has  made  and  imposed.  If  I  should  conceal  or  mis- 
interpret them,  that  would  not  relax  them,  nor  excuse  you.  He  who 
made  them,  knew  why  he  did  it,  and  will  expect  the  performance  of 
them. — And  he  will  take  care  for  a  supply  of  pastors.  He  has  the 
fulness  "  of  the  spirit,"  and  therefore  can  give  men  hearts  to  do  the 
duty  he  has  imposed.  He  that  has  undertaken  the  work  of  our  re- 
demption, will  not  lose  all  his  labour,  for  want  of  instruments  to  carry 
on  his  work.  He  will  provide  his  people  with  "  pastors  after  his  own 
heart,  who  shall  feed  them  with  knowledge  ;"  (Jer.  iii.  15.)  who  will 
"  seek  not  theirs,  but  them  ;  and  willingly  spend  and  be  spent  for 
their  sake."  What !  do  you  think  that  Christ  can  have  no  servants,  if 
such  as  you  (with  '  Demas)  forsake  him  and  turn  to  the  present  world  V 
If  you  dislike  his  service,  you  may  seek  a  better  where  you  can  find 
it,  and  boast  of  your  gain  in  the  conclusion  ;  but  do  not  threaten  him 
with  the  loss.  Look  to  yourselves  as  well  as  you  can,  and  tell  me  at 
the  hour  of  death,  or  at  the  judgement-day,  who  had  the  better  bar- 
gain; whether  Christ  had  more  need  of  you,  or  you  of  him.  It  shall 
not  serve  your  turn  to  run  out  of  the  vineyard,  on  pretence  that  you 


358  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

cannot  do  the  work :  he  can  follow  you  and  overtake  you,  as  he  did 
Jonah,  with  such  a  storm  as  shall  lay  you  "  in  the  belly  of  hell."  To- 
tally to  cast  off  duty,  because  you  cannot  endure  to  be  faithful  in 
the  performance  of  it,  will  prove  but  a  poor  excuse  at  last. 

V.  But  the  strongest  objection  of  all  seems  to  be,  "  that  few  peo- 
ple will  submit  to  be  so  freely  dealt  with  by  their  ministers,  but  will 
make  a  scorn  at  our  motion." 

It  cannot  be  denied,  that  too  many  people  are  obstinate  in  their 
wickedness;  that  "simple  ones  love  simplicity,  that  scorners  delight 
in  scorning,  and  that  fools  hate  knowledge."  (Prov.  i.  22.)  But  I  wish 
it  were  not  too  much  owing  to  ministsrs,  that  a  great  part  of  our  peo- 
ple are  so  obstinate  and  contemjjtuous.  If  we  did  but  shine  and  burn 
before  them  as  we  ought;  were  our  sermons  and  our  lives  more 
convincing;  did  we  set  ourselves  to  do  all  the  good  we  could  do; 
wore  we  more  humble  and  meek,  more  loving  and  charitable  ;  and 
did  we  let  them  see  that  we  do  but  little  esteem  any  worldly  things 
in  comparison  with  their  salvation,  much  more  might  be  done  than  is 
done  ;  the  mouths  of  many  would  be  stopped,  and  the  wicked  would 
be  more  tractable  and  calm  than  they  are. — However,  the  worse  they 
are,  the  more  are  they  to  be  pitied,  and  the  more  diligent  should  we 
be  for  their  recovery.  Their  wilfulness  will  not  excuse  us  from  our 
duty.  If  we  do  not  offer  them  our  help,  how  do  we  know  who  will  re- 
fuse it  ?  Offering  it  is  our  part ;  accepting  is  theirs.  If  we  offer  it 
not,  we  leave  them  excusable,  because  then  they  do  not  refuse  it ;  but 
we  leave  ourselves  without  excuse.  If  they  refuse  our  help  when  it 
is  offered,  we  have  done  our  part  and  delivered  our  own  souls.  But  if 
some  refuse  it,  others  will  accept  it ;  and  the  success,  with  regard  to 
them,  may  be  such  as  to  reward  all  our  labour,  though  it  were  much 
more.  All  are  not  wrought  upon  by  public  preaching  ;  but  we  must 
not  therefore  give  it  over  as  unprofitable.  In  a  word,  there  is  noth- 
ing from  God  or  from  right  reason  to  make  us  backward  to  any  part 
of  our  work  ;  though  from  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  we  shall 
have  much,  and  perhaps  more  than  we  yet  expect.  But  if,  against 
all  temptations  and  difficulties,  we  have  recourse  to  God,  and  look  on 
his  great  obligations  on  one  side,  and  the  hopeful  effects  and  rewards 
on  the  other,  we  shall  find  but  little  cause  to  draw  back  or  faint.* 


*  The  author,  in  his  preface  to  the  2d  Edition  of  the  Reformed  Pastor,  has 
a  remarkable  pas.-a»e  concerning;  his  own  experience  on  this  head,  which  it 
may  not  be  amiss  here  to  transcribe  ;  especially  as  it  shews  what  an  illustri- 
ous  example  he  was  of  that  dilisrence  which  he  recommends  to  others.  "  I 
find  (says  he)  that  we  never  took  the  rii2:hlest  course  to  demolish  the  king;dom 
ef  darkness  till  now.     I  wonder  at  myself  that  I  was  kept  from   so  clear  and 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  359 

VI.  But  to  all  that  I  have  said  to  recommend  personal  instruction, 
many  will  answer,  "  You  build  too  much  on  Paul's  teaching  from 
house  to  house,  and  other  passages  of  the  same  kind  :  those  times, 
when  the  churches  were  first  planting,  required  more  diligence  than 
ours:  shew  us  some  passage  of  scripture  which  requires  from  us  all 
that  you  have  prescribed  ;  and  especially  which  obliges  us  to  set  apart 
two  days  in  the  week  for  it."'*     I  reply 

1.  I  do  not  make  it  a  minister's  duty  absolutely  to  go  up  and  down 
from  house  to  house  to  each  person  in  the  parish,  or  of  his  charge ; 
nay,  I  would  not  so  much  as  advise  you  to  this  without  necessity  : 
but  first  call  the  people  to  come  to  you  at  your  own  house,  or  at  the 
vestry,  or  wherever  you  please,  so  that  you  will  but  give  them  that 
personal  instruction,  on  a  proper  inquiry  into  their  states,  which  their 
circumstances  require.  And  then  go  to  those  that  will  not  come  to 
you,  if  they  will  consent  to  it,  and  if  you  are  able.  For  my  own  part, 
I  cannot  go  from  house  to  house  without  the  apparent  hazard  of  my 
life.  And  I  think  it  more  for  the  people's  benefit  to  accustom  them 
to  attend  their  pastor,  (and  it  is  much  more  for  his)  than  for  him  to 
hunt  up  and  down  after  them,  scarcely  knowing  where  or  when.  But 
men's  obstinacy  may  make  that  necessary  which  is  inconvenient. 

2.  It  is  not  on  these  texts  in  question,  or  any  other,  that  I  wholly 
ground  this  duty  :  though  supposing  there  were  no  more  than  the 
general  command  [on  which  we  have  been  insisting]  of  "  taking  heed 
to  ALL  the  flock,"  surely  this  were  sufficient  to  convince  you  that  you 
should  take  as  particular  care  of  every  individual  as  you  can. — Must 
I  turn  to  my  Bible  to  shew  a  Preacher  where  it  is  written  that  a  man's 

excellent  a  duly  so  long-.  But  the  case  Vv^as  with  me  as  I  suppose  it  is  wilh 
others :  I  was  convinced  of  my  duly  ;  but  my  upprehensions  of  it  were  too 
small,  and  of  Ihe  difficnllies  of  it,  too  2:1  eat.  1  thoug;hl  that  the  people  would 
have  scorned  it  ;  and  that  only  a  few  (viho  had  least  need)  would  have  sub- 
mitted to  it.  The  work  si^emed  strangle  to  me  ;  I  was  for  slaying  till  the  peo- 
ple were  better  prepared  for  it ;  and  thoug:ht  my  streng^th  would  never  o;o 
through  with  it :  thus  was  1  detained  in  delays,  which  I  beseech  the  Lord  of 
mercy  to  forgive.  Whereas  upon  trial,  I  find  the  ditficulties  tt>  be  n(>thing  to 
what  1  imagined  ;  and  I  experience  the  benefits  and  comforts  of  the  work  to 
be  such,  that  I  would  not  wish  to  hr.ve  neglected  it,  for  all  the  riches  in  the 
world.  We  spend  Monday  and  Tuesday  (from  the  morning  almost  to  night) 
in  the  work  :  taking  about  fifteen  or  sixl.'en  families  in  a  week,  that  we  may 
go  through  the  parish  fin  which  there  are  above  eight  hundred)  in  a  year.  And 
I  cannot  say  that  one  family  hath  yit  refused  to  come  to  me  ;  or  that  many 
persons  have  shifted  it  off.  And  with  regard  to  most  of  them  that  come,  I  find 
more  outward  signs  of  success  [from  this  private  discourse  with  them]  than 
from  all  my  preaching  to  them, 

*  This  is  taken  from  the  author's  Appendix  to  the  2d  Edition,  in  which  he 
answers  many  other  objections,  which  are  either  too  weak  to  bear  repealing, 
or  too  peculiar  to  need  it. 


360  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR, 

soul  is  of  more  worth  than  a  world  1  Or  that  both  we,  and  all  we  have, 
are  God's  ?  Or  that  it  is  inhuman  cruelty  to  let  souls  go  to  hell  for 
fear  we  and  our  families  should  live  somewhat  the  harder  ?  In  a  word, 
the  question  is,  Whether  you  are  not  bound  to  do  the  best  you  can  to 
save  the  souls  of  all  your  people  ?  Do  this,  and  I  desire  no  more. 
But  do  you  think  in  your  conscience  that  you  do  the  best  you  can,  if 
you  neglect  to  exhort,  instruct,  and  catechise  them  1 

3.  To  say  the  present  times  require  less  diligence  than  the  days  of 
the  apostles,  savours  of  a  man  locked  up  in  a  study  and  unacquainted 
with  the  world.  Good  Lord  !  Are  there  such  multitudes  round 
about  us  who  are  ignorant  of  the  first  principles  of  religion  ?  Are 
there  so  many  thousand  drowned  in  presumption,  security,  and  sen- 
suality ?  So  many  drunkards,  worldlings,  haters,  and  scoffers  of  a 
holy  life  ?  So  many  dull,  ignorant,  scandalous  professors  ?  So  many 
troublers,  seducers,  and  dividers  of  the  church  ?  And  yet  is  the  hap- 
piness of  our  times  so  great,  that  we  may  excuse  ourselves  from  per- 
sonal instruction  because  it  is  unnecessary  ?  Look  more  without,  and 
I  warrant  you  that  you  will  not  see  cause  to  spare  your  pains  for  want 
of  work.  What  conscientious  minister  finds  not  work  enough  to  do 
from  one  end  of  the  year  to  the  other,  though  he  has  not  a  hundred 
souls  to  take  care  of?  It  is  true  that  there  are  more  professors  of 
Christianity  in  our  day  than  in  the  apostle's :  but  are  the  ungodly  the 
less  miserable  for  that  profession,  or  the  more  so  ? 

4.  As  to  the  objection  that  relates  to  the  proportion  of  time  to  be 
allotted  for  this  work,  &-c.  I  answer.  What  if  God  only  bids  us  to 
*'  pray  without  ceasing,"  will  you  approve  of  those  who  neglect  it  be- 
cause they  are  not  commanded  to  pray  morning  and  night,  or  in  the 
family?  Set  times  are  as  needful  for  the  constant  performance  of 
this  duty,  as  for  your  private  or  family  duties  ;  your  lectures  or  your 
studies.  When  you  have  shewed  me  a  written  precept  for  these,  or 
for  preaching  twice  on  the  Lord's  day,  then  I  will  shew  you  more 
than  one  for  the  things  in  question.  However,  I  presume  not  to  im- 
pose an  unnecessary  task  on  any,  but  leave  it  to  your  prudence  to 
discern  and  determine  the  seasons  and  other  circumstances  of  your 
duty. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  36t 

CHAPTER  IX. 

MISCELLANEOUS  DIRECTIONS  RESPECTING  THE  WHOLE  MINISTERIAL 

WORK.* 

[The  next  thing  proposed,  to  which  we  now  proceed,  was, 
Fourthly,  to  give  some  miscellaneous  directions  for  the  more  comfort- 
able, acceptable,  and  useful  discharge  of  the  pastoral  office  in  all  its 
branches.] 

I.  Through  the  whole  course  of  your  ministry,  insist  most  upon 
the  greatest,  most  certain,  and  most  necessary  things. 

If  we  can  but  teach  Christ  to  our  people,  we  teach  them  all.  Get 
them  well  to  heaven,  and  they  will  have  knowledge  enough.  The 
plainest,  and  most  commonly  acknowledged  truths,  are  what  men 
live  most  upon ;  these  are  the  great  instruments  in  destroying  sin, 
and  in  raising  the  heart  to  God.  We  should  always  have  our  people's 
necessities  in  our  eye.  To  remember  that  "  One  thing  is  needful," 
will  take  us  off  from  needless  ornaments,  and  unprofitable  controver- 
sies. Many  other  things  are  desirable  to  be  known,  but  these  must 
be  known,  or  else  our  people  are  undone  forever.  Necessity  should 
be  the  great  disposer  of  a  minister's  studies  and  labours.  If  we  were 
sufficient  for  every  thing,  we  might  fall  upon  every  thing,  and  take 
in  order  the  whole  Encyclopedia.  But  life  is  short,  and  we  are 
dull.  Eternal  things  are  necessary,  and  the  souls  which  depend 
on  our  teaching  are  precious. — I  confess  that  necessity  has  been 
the  conductor  of  my  studies,  and  my  life.  It  chooses  what  books 
I  shall  read,  and  when,  and  how  long.  It  chooses  my  text  and 
makes  my  sermon,  both  for  matter  and  manner,  as  far  as  I  can 
keep  out  my  own  corruptions.  Though  I  know  that  the  constant 
expectation  of  death  has  been  a  great  cause  of  this  with  regard  to 
myself,  yet  I  can  see  no  reason  why  the  most  healthful  man  should 
not  make  sure  of  the  necessaries  first ;  considering  the  shortness 
and  uncertainty  of  all  men's  lives.  Who  can,  either  in  study, 
preaching,  or  life,  be  employed  about  foreign  matters,  when  he  knows 
that  this  or  that  must  be  done  ?  As  the  soldier  says,  "  Non  diu  dis- 
putandum,  sed  celeriter  et  fortiter  dimicandum  ubi  urget  necessitas," 
so  much  more  may  we,  as  our  business  is  more  important.  Doubtless 
this  is  the  best   way  to  redeem  time,  to  spend  it  only  on   necessary 

*  N.  B.  "The  sins  of  ministers,"  which  the  author  had  pointed  out  in  a 
distinct  series  of  particulars,  are  introduci  d  in  this  ;  as  many  of  the  thoiiglits  in 
both  necessaiily  coincided.  These  directions  stood  in  different  parts  of  the 
original  work,  but  it  seemed  most  natural  to  place  them  to^-ether  here. 

46 


362  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

things  :  and  f  think  it  is  the  way  to  be  most  profitable  to  others  ; 
though  not  always  to  be  most  pleasing  and  applauded ;  because 
through  men's  frailty,  that  is  too  true  which  Seneca  complains  of, 
"  Nova  potius  miramur  quam  magna." 

A  preacher  must  be  often  upon  the  same  things,  because  the  mat- 
ters of  necessity  are  few.  This  we  should  not  avoid  to  satisfy  such 
as  look  for  novelties,  though  we  should  clothe  the  same  necessaries 
with  a  grateful  variety,  in  the  manner  of  our  delivering  them.  Ne- 
cessaries are  common  and  obvious  ;  for  superfluities  we  may  waste 
our  time  and  labour,  and  often  to  no  purpose.  The  great  volumes 
and  tedious  controversies  that  so  much  trouble  us  and  waste  our  time, 
are  usually  made  up  more  of  opinion  than  necessary  truths.* — You 
would  choose  those  authors  to  read  for  yourselves,  which  tell  you 
what  you  know  not,  and  treat  of  the  most  necessary  things  in  the 
clearest  manner,  though  it  be  in  the  most  barbarous  language,  rather 
than  those  which  most  learnedly,  and  in  the  most  elegant,  grateful  lan- 
guage, tell  you  that  which  is  false  and  vain,  and  "  magno  conatu  nihil 
dicere  ?"t  And  surely  you  should  act  on  the  same  principle  in  teach- 
ing other  men,  as  in  studying  for  yourself.  They  are  commonly  emp- 
ty, ignorant  men,  destitute  of  the  matter  and  substance  of  true  learn- 
ing, who  are  over  curious  about  words  and  ornaments ;  who  affect  to 
be  esteemed  what  they  are  not,  having  no  other  way  to  procure  that 
esteem  :  whereas  the  oldest,  most  experienced,  and  most  learned  men, 
abound  in  substantial  verities,  usually  delivered  in  the  plainest  dress. 
Which  brings  me  to  add, 

II.  All  our  teaching  should  be  as  plain  and  evident  as  we  can 
make  it. 

This  best  suits  a  teacher's  ends.  He  that  would  be  understood, 
must  make  it  his  business  to  be  understood,  by  speaking  to  the  capa- 
cities of  his  hearers.  Truth  loves  the  light,  and  is  most  beautiful 
when  most  naked.  He  is  an  enemy  that  hides  the  truth  ;  and  he  is 
a  hypocrite,  who  does  this  under  a  pretence  of  revealing  it.  Highly 
ornamented  sermons  (like  painted  glass  in  windows,  which  keeps  out 
the  light)  are  too  often  the  marks  of  hypocrisy.  If  you  would  not 
teach  men,  what  do  you  in  the  pulpit  ?     If  you   would,   why   do  you 

*  Necessitas  brevibus  clauditur  terminis  ;  Opinio  nuUis.  Marsil.  Ficincs. 

t  Sunt  qui  scire  voluut  eo  fine  tanlum  ut  sciant,  et  turpis  curiositas  est :  et 
sunt  qui  scire  volunt  ut  scientiam  suam  vendant ;  et  turpis  qusestus  est :  sunt 
qui  scire  voluut  ut  sciantur  ipsi,  et  turpis  vanitas  est :  sed  sunt  qui  scire  volunt 
ut  aedificentur ;  et  prudentia  est :  et  sunt  quoque  qui  scire  volunt  ut  aedificeut  ; 
et  Charitas  est. 

Bernard,  Serm.  in  Cant.  26. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  363 

not  speak  so  as  to  be  understood  ? — For  a  man  purposely  to  cloud  his 
matter  in  strange  words,  and  hide  his  mind  from  the  people  whom  he 
pretends  to  instruct,  is  the  way  to  make  fools  admire  his  profound 
learning,  but  wise  men,  his  folly,  pride,  and  hypocrisy. — Some  per- 
sons purposely  conceal  their  sentiments,  through  a  pretence  to  neces- 
sity, because  of  men's  prejudices,  and  the  unpreparedness  of  common 
understandings  to  receive  the  truth.  But  truth  overcomes  prejudice 
by  mere  light  of  evidence.  There  is  no  better  way  to  make  a  good 
cause  prevail,  than  to  make  it  as  plain  and  as  thoroughly  understood 
as  we  can  ;  this  will  properly  dispose  an  unprepared  mind. — He  that 
is  not  able  to  deliver  his  matter  plainly  to  others,  (T  mean  as  plainly  as 
the  nature  of  it  will  bear,  and  supposing  them  to  have  capacities  for 
understanding  it)  shews  that  he  has  not  well  digested  it  himself. 

III.  We  should  always  suit  our  instructions,   and   our   behaviour, 
to  the  capacities  and  circumstances  of  those  with  whom  we  have  to  do. 

Our  work  must  be  carried  on  prudently,  orderly,  and  by  degrees. 
Milk  must  go  before  strong  meat.  The  foundation  must  be  laid  be- 
fore we  can  build  upon  it.  Children  must  not  be  dealt  with  as  men 
at  age.  A  person  must  be  brought  into  a  state  of  grace,  before  we 
can  expect  from  him  the  works  of  grace.  The  stewards  of  God's 
household  must  'give  to  each  their  portion  in  due  season.'  (Luke  xii. 
42).  We  must  not  go  beyond  the  capacities  of  our  people,  nor  teach 
them  the  perfection,  who  have  not  learnt  the  principles. — There  must 
be  a  prudent  mixture  of  severity  and  mildness,  both  in  our  preach- 
ing and  discipline  :  each  must  be  predominant  according  to  the  qual- 
ity of  the  person  or  the  matter  we  have  in  hand.  If  there  be  no  se 
verily,  our  reproofs  will  be  despised  ;  if  it  be  all  severity,  we  shall  be 
esteemed  usurpers  of  dominion. 

IV.  Every  part  of  our  work  must  be  managed  with  great  humil- 
ity. 

Pride  is  one  of  the  most  heinous,  and  yet  one  of  our  most  palpa- 
ble sins.  If  discovers  itself  in  many  by  their  dress  :  it  chooses  their 
cloth  and  their  fashion,  and  dresses  their  hair  and  their  habit  accord- 
ing to  the  taste.  And  I  wish  this  were  all,  or  the  worst :  but  alas, 
how  frequently  does  it  go  with  us  to  our  studies  !  How  often  does  it 
choose  our  subject,  and  how  much  oftener  our  words  and  ornaments ! 
Sometimes  it  puts  in  toys  and  trifles  under  a  pretence  of  laudable 
embellishments,  and  often  pollutes  instead  of  polishing.  It  makes  us 
speak  to  our  people  what  they  do  not  understand,  [merely  to  display 
our  learning.].  It  takes  off  the  edge  of  a  discourse  under  a  pretence 
of  filing  off  the  roughness  and  superfluity.     If  we  have  a  plain  and 


384  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

cutting  passage,  it  throws  it  away  as  too  rustical  or  ungrateful.  Now, 
though  our  matter  be  of  God,  if  our  dressing  and  manner  and  end  be 
from  Satan,  (as  is  the  case  when  pride  has  the  ordering  of  it)  we  have 
no  great  reason  to  expect  success. — Yet  thus  does  pride  make  many 
a  man's  sermon.  And  when  they  have  composed  the  discourse,  it 
goes  with  them  into  the  pulpit,  it  forms  their  tone,  it  animates  their 
delivery,  it  takes  them  off  from  what  would  be  displeasing,  and  di- 
rects them  in  the  pursuit  of  vain  applause.  In  short,  instead  of  seek- 
ing God's  glory,  and  denying  themselves,  it  makes  them,  both  in 
studying  and  preaching,  to  seek  themselves,  and  deny  God.  When 
they  should  ask,  "  What  shall  I  say  and  how  shall  I  say  it  to  please 
God  best,  and  do  most  good  ?"  Pride  makes  them  ask,  "  What  shall 
I  say,  and  how  shall  I  deliver  it,  to  be  thought  a  learned,  able  preach- 
er, and  to  be  applauded  by  all  that  hear  me  ?"  When  the  sermon  is 
done,  pride  goes  home  with  them,  and  makes  them  more  eager  to 
know  whether  they  were  applauded,  than  whether  they  did  any  good 
to  the  souls  of  men.  Were  it  not  for  shame,  they  could  willingly  ask 
people  how  they  liked  them,  to  extort  their  commendations.  If  they 
perceive  that  they  are  highly  thought  of,  they  rejoice  as  having  attain- 
ed their  end  ;  if  not,  they  are  displeased,  as  having  lost  the  prize. 

But  this  is  not  all ;  some  ministers  are  so  set  upon  a  popular  air, 
and  having  the  highest  place  in  the  esteem  of  men,   that  they  envy 
the  abilities  and  names  of  their   brethren  who  are  preferred  to  them  ; 
as  if  all  were  taken  from  their  praise,  that  is  given  to  another's,  and 
as  if  God  had  bestowed  his  gifts  upon   them  as  the   mere  ornaments 
of  their  persons,  that  they  might  walk   as   men  of  reputation   in   the 
world  ;  and  as  if  all  the  gifts  of  other  ministers  were  to  be  trodden 
down  and  vilified,  if  they  should  stand   in  the   way  of  their   honour. 
Strange  !  that  one  workman  should  malign  another,  because  he  helps 
him  to  do  his  master's  work  !  Yet  how  common  is  this  heinous  crime 
among  men  of  ability  and  eminence  in  the  church  !  They  will  secret- 
ly blot  the  reputation  of  such  as  oppose  their  own,   and   will  at  least 
raise  suspicions,  where  they  cannot  fasten  accusations.     Nay,  some 
go  so  far  as  to  be  unwilling  that  any  ministers  abler  than  themselves 
should  come  into  their  pulpits,   lest  they  should   be  applauded  above 
themselves.     It  is  a  surprising  thing  that  any  man  who  has  the   least 
fear  of  God,  should  so  envy  his  gifts  in  others,  as  that   he  had   rather 
his  carnal  hearers  should  remain  unconverted,  than  that  they  should 
be  converted  by  another  person   who  may  be  preferred   to  himself. 
Yet  this  sin  does  so  prevail,  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  two  ministers  to 
live  together  in  love  and  quietness,  unanimously  to  carry  on  the  work 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR^  365 

of  God.  Unless  one  of  them  be  greatly  inferiour  to  the  other,  and 
content  to  be  so  esteemed,  and  to  be  governed  by  him,  they  are  con- 
tending for  precedency,  envying  each  other's  interest,  and  behaving 
with  strangeness  and  jealousy  towards  one  another,  to  the  shame  of  their 
profession,  and  the  injury  of  the  congregation.  Nay,  so  great  is  the 
pride  of  some  ministers,  that  when  they  might  have  an  equal  assistant, 
to  further  the  work  of  God,  they  had  rather  take  all  the  burden  upon 
themselves,  though  more  than  they  can  bear,  than  that  any  should 
share  with  them  in  their  honour,  or  lest  they  should  diminish  their 
own  interest  in  the  people. — It  is  owing  to  pride,  that  many  ministers 
make  so  little  proficiency  :  they  are  too  proud  to  learn.  It  is  through 
pride  also  that  men  so  magnify  their  own  opinions  and  are  as  censori- 
ous of  any  that  differ  from  them  in  lesser  things,  as  if  their  sentiments 
were  the  rules  of  the  church's  faith.  While  we  cry  down  papal  in- 
fallibility, too  many  of  us  would  be  Popes  ourselves,  and  would  have 
every  thing  determined  by  our  judgements,  as  if  we  were  infallible. 
And  so  high  are  our  spirits,  that  when  any  reprove  or  contradict  us, 
(though  they  have  sufficient  reason  to  do  it,)  we  are  commonly  impa- 
tient both  of  the  matter  and  the  manner.  We  love  the  man  that  will 
say  as  we  say,  and  promote  our  reputation,  though  in  other  respects 
he  be  less  worthy  our  esteem  :  but  he  is  ungrateful  to  us,  who  differs 
from  us,  and  contradicts  us,  and  who  plainly  tell  us  of  our  faults  ;  es- 
pecially in  relation  to  our  public  performances.  Many,  through  their 
pride,  imagine  that  all  those  despise  them  who  do  not  admire  all  they 
say,  and  submit  to  their  judgements  in  the  most  palpable  mistakes  : 
thus  have  they  dishonoured  themselves  by  idolizing  their  honour,  and 
publicly  proclaimed  their  own  shame.  From  pride  proceed  all  the 
envy,  contention  and  unpeaceableness  of  ministers,  which  are  the 
hindrances  to  all  reformation  :  all  would  lead,  but  few  will  follow  or 
concur.  Yea,  hence  proceed  schisms  and  apostasies,  as  did  former 
persecutions,  arrogant  usurpations  and  impositions.  In  short,  it  is 
pride  at  the  root  that  nourishes  all  our  other  sins,  and  this  virtually 
contains  them  all. 

Give  me  leave,  brethren,  to  expostulate  with  you  and  my  own 
heart  with  regard  to  this  sin,  that  we  may  see  the  evil  of  it  and  be  re- 
formed.— Pride  is  the  sin  of  devils  ;  the  first  born  of  hell  ;  it  is  that 
wherein  the  devil's  image  does  principally  consist.  It  is  an  intolera- 
ble evil  in  a  man  that  is  so  much  engaged  against  him  as  we  are. 
Pride  ill  becomes  those  that  are  to  lead  men  in  such  a  humble  way 
to  heaven.  We  had  need  to  take  care,  lest  when  we  have  brought 
others  thither,  the  gate  should  prove  too  strait  for  ourselves.     God, 


366  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

who  thrust  out  a  proud  angel,  will  not  there  entertain  a  proud  preach^ 
er  as  such. — The  very  design  of  the  gospel  tends  to  self-abasement. 
The  work  of  grace  is  begun  and  carried  on  in  humiliation.  Humili- 
ty is  not  the  mere  ornament  of  a  christian,  but  it  is  an  essential  part 
of  the  new  creature.  All  that  will  be  Christ's  disciples  must  '  come 
to  him  and  learn  ;'  their  lesson  is,  to  be  "  meek  and  lowly  in  heart." 
(Matt,  xxviii.  29).  How  many  admirable  precepts  and  examples  has 
our  Lord  and  master  given  us  to  this  end  !  Can  we  once  conceive  of 
him  as  washing  and  wiping  his  servants'  feet,  and  yet  be  haughty  and 
domineering?  Shall  he  converse  with  the  meanest,  and  shall  we 
avoid  them  as  contemptible,  and  think  none  but  the  rich  and  honour- 
able fit  for  our  society  1  Many  of  us  are  oftener  found  in  the  houses 
of  gentlemen,  than  in  the  poor  cottages  of  such  as  most  need  our  help  ; 
as  if  we  had  taken  the  charge  only  of  the  souls  of  the  rich.  Methinks 
we  should  remember  our  title  as  Ministers,  which,  though  the  po- 
pish priests  disdain,  we  do  not.  We  should  not  speak  proudly  or  dis- 
respectfully to  any,  but  should  carry  ourselves  meekly  and  courteous- 
ly to  all,  remembering  that  we  are  obliged  to  be  "  the  servants  of  all." 
We  should  not  be  strange  to  the  poorest  and  meanest  of  the  flock, 
but  should  '  condescend  to  men  of  low  estate'  as  our  equals  in  Christ. 
Familiarity  improved  to  holy  ends  is  necessary,  and  may  do  abun- 
dance of  good  ;  and  surely  a  kind,  winning  carriage  is  a  very  cheap 
way  of  doing  it.  We  should  so  teach  others,  as  to  be  ready  to  learn 
of  any  ;  thus  we  may  both  teach  and  learn  at  once  :*  not  proudly 
venting  our  own  conceits,  and  disdaining  all  that  any  way  contradict 
them,  as  if  we  (having  attained  the  height  of  knowledge)  were  des- 
tined to  the  chair,  and  all  other  men  were  to  sit  at  our  feet. 

Alas,  brethren  !  what  is  it  that  we  have  to  be  so  proud  of? — Of  our 
bodies  ?  They  are  made  of  the  same  materials  as  the  meanest  of  our 
fellow  creatures.  Is  it  of  our  graces  ?  The  more  we  are  proud  of 
them,  the  less  have  we  to  be  proud  of,  since  much  of  the  nature  of 
grace  is  in  humility.  Is  it  of  our  learning  and  abilities?  Surely,  if 
we  have  any  knowledge  at  all,  we  must  know  much  reason  to  be 
humble.  If  we  know  more  than  others,  we  must  know  more  reason 
to  be  humble  than  they  do.     But  how  little  is  it  that  the  most  learned 

*  We  may  say  of  ministers  in  general  what  Augustine  said  of  the  ag:ed  of 
them  ;  "■  Etsi  magis  decet  docere  quam  discere,  magis  tamen  decet  discere 
quam  ignorare." 

'^  Ab  omnibus  libenter  discc  quod  tu  nescis:  quia  humilitas  commune  fibi 
facere  potest,  quod  natura  cuique  proprium  fecit,  sapienter  omnibus  eris,  si  ab 
omnibus  discere  volueris ;  qui  ab  omnibus  accipiuct,  omnibus  ditiores  sunt." 

Hugo. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  367 

know,  in  comparison  with  what  they  are  ignorant  of!  And  to  know 
how  ignorant  we  are,  and  how  far  things  are  beyond  our  reach,  one 
would  imagine,  could  be  no  great  cause  of  pride. — It  is  our  very  bu- 
siness to  preach  humility ;  it  is  therefore  very  unfit  that  we  should  be 
proud.  Must  we  study  and  preach  humility,  and  must  we  not  possess 
and  practise  it?  A  proud  preacher  of  humility,  is  at  least  a  self-con- 
demning man.  And  I  beseech  you  to  consider,  whether  it  will  save 
us  to  speak  well  of  the  grace  we  do  not  possess  ;  whether  sincerity 
can  consii?!  with  allowed  pride,  and  whether  we  can  be  saved  without 
humility,  any  more  than  without  temperance  or  chastity. 

Consider  further,  brethren,  I  beseech  you,  what  baits  there  are  in 
the  ministerial  office,  to  entice  to  vanity,  and  what  temptations  to 
pride  lie  in  our  way,  that  you  may  be  more  upon  your  guard  against 
it.  What  a  snare  may  it  prove,  to  have  the  fame  of  godly  men,  and 
of  learned,  zealous  preachers!  How  pleasing  is  it  to  have  the  people 
crowd  to  hear  us,  and  to  be  able  to  command  their  judgements  and 
affections  !  Especially  to  be  renowned  through  the  land  for  the  high- 
est spiritual  excellencies  !  To  have  the  people  plead  for  us  as  their 
felicity,  and  call  us  the  pillars  of  the  church  of  God,  and  their  fa- 
thers, "  the  chariots  and  horsemen  of  Israel !' — Alas  !  brethren,  a  lit- 
tle grace  will  serve  to  make  you  join  with  the  forwardestof  those  men 
that  have  these  inducements  and  encouragements.  Nay,  pride  may 
do  it  without  any  special  grace.*  O  !  therefore,  be  jealous  of  your- 
selves, and  in  all  your  studies  be  sure  to  study  humility.  "He  that 
exalteth  himself  shall  be  brought  low  :  whereas  he  that  humbleth  him- 
self shall  be  exalted."  (Luke  xiv.  II).  I  commonly  observe,  that  al- 
most all  men,  both  good  and  bad,  loathe  the  proud,  and  love  the  hum- 
ble ;  so  far  does  pride  defeat  its  own  ends. — We  have  cause  to  be  the 
more  jealous  of  ourselves,  because  pride  is  a  vice  which  is  most  deeply 
rooted  in  us,  and  with  as  much  difficulty  as  any,  extirpated  from  the 
soul.     Again, 

V.  In  every  part  of  our  work,  we  should  be  serious,  affectionate, 
zealous,  and  reverent. 

The  importance  of  our  matter  condemns  coldness  and  sleepy  dul- 
ness.     Our  spirits  should  be  well  awakened,  that  we   may  be  fit  to 

*  [A  Jesuit,  who  had  been  employed  twenty  years  in  the  miss-ions  of  Cana- 
da, owned  privately  to  his  i'liend,  that,  while  he  did  not  believe  in  the  bt  ingf  of" 
a  God,  he  had  faced  death  twenty  times  for  the  sake  of  the  religion  which  he 
preached  to  the  savag^es  with  »reat  success.  His  friend,  hereupon,  represent- 
ed to  him  the  inconsistency  of  his  zeal  :  "  Ah  I"  replied  the  missionary,  "  you 
have  no  idea  of  the  pleasure  which  is  felt  in  commanding  the  attention  of 
twenty  thousand  people,  and  in  persuading-  them  to  what  we  believe  not  our- 
selves."    D'Alembert's  Account  of  the  Jesuits.] 


368  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

awaken  others.  If  our  words  be  not  sharp  and  piercing,  they  will 
hardly  be  felt  by  stony  hearts.  To  speak  slightly  and  coldly  about 
heavenly  things,  is  as  bad  as  to  say  nothing  of  them. — All  our  work 
must  be  managed  reverently,  as  becomes  them  that  believe  the  pre- 
sence of  God  ;  not  treating  holy  things  as  if  they  were  common.  The 
more  of  God  appears  in  our  duties,  the  more  authority  will  they  have 
with  men.  Reverence  is  that  affection  of  the  soul  which  proceeds 
from  deep  apprehensions  of  God,  and  denotes  that  the  mind  is  much 
conversant  with  him.  To  manifest  irreverence  about  the  things  of 
God,  is  so  far  to  manifest  hypocrisy,  and  that  the  heart  agrees  not  with 
the  tongue.  I  know  not  how  it  is  with  other  persons  ;  but  the  most 
reverent  preacher,  who  speaks  as  if  he  saw  the  face  of  God,  does 
more  affect  my  heart,  though  with  common  words,  than  an  irreverent 
man  with  the  most  accurate  preparations,  though  he  bawl  it  out  with 
ever  so  much  seeming  earnestness.  If  reverence  be  not  equal  to  fer- 
vency, it  has  but  little  effect.  Of  all  preaching  in  the  world  I  hate 
that  most,  which  tends  to  make  the  hearers  laugh,  or  to  affect  their 
minds  with  such  levity  as  stage-plays  do,  instead  of  affecting  them 
with  a  holy  reverence  of  the  name  of  God.*  We  should  suppose 
(as  it  were)  when  we  draw  near  him  in  holy  things,  that  we  saw  the 
throne  of  God,  and  the  millions  of  glorious  angels  attending  him,  that 
we  may  be  awed  with  his  majesty,  lest  we  profane  his  service  and 
take  his  name  in  vain. 

VI.  All  our  work  should  be  done  spiritually  :  as  by  men  possess- 
ed of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  actuated  by  him. 

We  should  be  men  that  "  savour  the  things  of  the  spirit."  There 
is  in  some  men's  preaching  a  spiritual  strain  which  spiritual  hearers 
can  discern  and  relish :  whereas  in  others,  this  sacred  tincture  is  so 
wanting,  that  even  when  they  speak  of  spiritual  things,  the  manner  is 
such  as  if  they  were  common  matters.  Our  evidence  and  ornaments 
ought  to  be  spiritual  :  rather  borrowed  from  the  scriptures  (with  a 
cautious,  subservient  use  of  human  writings)  than  from  the  authority 
of  Aristotle,  or  any  other  man.  "The  wisdom  of  the  world"  must 
not  be  magnified  against  "  the  wisdom  of  God."  Philosophy  must  be 
taught  to  stoop  and  serve,  while  faith  bears  the  principal  sway.  The 
great  scholars  in  Aristotle's  school,  must  take  heed  of  glorying  loo 
much  in  their  master,  and  despising  those  who  are  beneath  them,  lest 
they  themselves  prove  lower  in  the  school  of  Christ,  and  "  least  in  the 
kingdom  of  God,"  while  they  would  appear  great  in  the  eyes  of  men. 

*  Docerite  in  ecclesia  te,  non  clamor  populi,  sed  gemitus  suscitetur :  lacry- 
mae  auditorum  laudes  tuEe  sunt.     Jerome. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  369 

As  wise  a  man  as  any  of  them  would  "  glory  in  notliing  but  in  the 
cross  of  Christ,  and  determined  to  know  nothincr  but  him  crucified."* 
The  most  learned  mfn  should  think  of  tiiis. — Let  all  writers  have 
their  due  esteem,  but  compare  none  of  them  with  the  word  of  God. 
We  will  not  refuse  their  service,  but  we  must  abhor  them  as  competi- 
tors. God  is  tlie  best  teacher  of  his  own  nature  and  will.  It  is  the 
si^^n  of  a  distempered  heart,  when  a  person  loses  the  relish  for  scrip- 
ture excellency.  There  is  in  a  spiritual  heart  a  connaturality  to  the 
word  of  God,  because  this  was  the  means  of  his  regeneration.  The 
word  is  that  seal  which  made  all  the  holy  impressions  that  are  in  the 
hearts  of  true  believers,  and  stamped  the  image  of  God  upon  them; 
ihey  must  tlierefore  love  that  word  as  long  as  they  live. 

VII.  The  whole  of  our  ministry  must  be  carried  on  in  a  tender 
^ove  to  our  j;eople. 

We  must  let  them  see  that  nothing  pleases  us  but  what  profits 
them ;  that  what  does  them  good,  does  us  good,  and  that  nothing 
troubles  us  more  than  their  hurt.  "  Bishops  (as  Jerome  says)  are  not 
lords,  but  fathers  ;"  and  therefore  must  be  affected  towards  their  peo- 
ple as  their  children  :  yea  the  tenderest  love  of  the  mother  should  not 
surpass  theirs.  We  must  even  "  travail  in  birth  for  them  till  Christ 
be  formed  in  them."  We  should  convince  them  that  we  care  for  no 
outward  thing,  not  money,  nor  liberty,  nor  credit,  nor  life  itself,  in 
comparison  with  their  salvation.  When  your  people  see  that  you  un- 
feignedly  love  them,  they  will  hear  any  thing,  and  bear  any  thing.! 
We  ourselves  should  put  up  with  a  blow  given  us  in  love,  sooner  than 
with  a  hard  word  given  us  in  anger  and  m.alice.  Most  men  judge  of 
advice,  as  they  judge  of  the  affection  of  him  who  gives  it.  O  there- 
fore see  to  it  that  you  feel  a  tender  love  to  your  people  in  your  breast^ 
and  let  them  feel  it  in  your  speeches,  and  see  it  in  your  conduct. 
Let  them  see  that  you  "  spend  and  are  spent  for  their  sakes,"  that  all 
you  do,  is  not  for  any  ends  of  your  own,  but  for  them.  To  this  end, 
works  of  charity  will  be  necessary,  as  far  as  your  circumstances  allow. 
[But  more  of  this  under  the  next  particular  ] 

Be  sure  that  your  love  be  not  carnal,  flowing  from  pride,  and  that 
you  do  not  appear  as  one  that  is  a  suitor  for  himself,  rather  than  for 
Christ ;  who  loves  because  he  is  beloved,  or  pretends  it,  that  he  may 
be.     Take  heed  that  you  do  not  connive  at  men's  sins  under   a   pre- 

*  Deus  primo  colleg-it  indoctos  :  post  uiodum  philosophos,  et  non  per  oialo- 
res  docuit  plscatores,  sed  per  piscatores,  subegit  oiatores.  Gkeg.  ivl.  Moral. 
L.  33. 

t  Di'.igfe  et  die  quodcunque  voles.     Aug. 

47  / 


/ 


370  THE  REFORMEU  PASTOR. 

tence  of  love  ;  for  that  were  to  contradict  the  very  nature  and  ends 
of  it.*  Friendship  must  be  cemented  by  piety.  A  wicked  man  can 
be  no  true  friend.  If  you  befriend  the  sins  of  the  wicked,  you  shew 
that  you  are  such  yourselves.  By  favouring  their  sin,  you  discover 
your  enmity  to  God  ;  and  then  how  can  you  "  love  your  brother  ?"  If 
you  be  their  best  friends,  help  them  against  their  worst  enemies. 
Pretend  not  to  love  them  if  you  favour  their  sins,  and  do  not  seek 
their  salvation.  Do  not  think  all  sharpness  inconsistent  with  love  : 
parents  will  correct  their  cliildren,  and  God  himself  will  "  chasten  ev- 
ery son  that  he  loveth.t"     Next  to  this  let  me  add 

VIII.  Take  care  that  your  worldly  and  fleshly  interests  do  not 
too  much  prevail  against  the  interest  of  Christ  and  the  good  of  souls. 

Never  be  guilty  of  temporizing  for  the  sake  of  gain.  It  is  one  of 
the  greatest  reproaches  upon  the  ministry,  that  so  many  of  us  do  so 
much  suit  themselves  to  the  party  that  is  most  likely  to  suit  their  ends, 
and  promote  their  worldly  advantage.  This  often  occasions  our  ene- 
mies to  say,  that  reputation  and  preferment  are  our  religion  and  our 
reward.  Never  let  a  regard  to  your  worldly  interest  prevent  your  dis- 
charge of  any  part  of  your  duty,  even  though  the  most  disagreeable  to 
your  people,  and  though  it  should  hinder  them  from  paying  their 
dues.  I  find  alas  !  that  money  is  too  strong  an  argument  for  some 
ministers  to  answer,  who  can  proclaim  "  the  love  of  it  to  be  the  root 
of  all  evil,"  and  can  make  long  orations  on  the  danger  of  covetous- 
ness.  If  it  was  so  heinous  a  sin  in  Simon  Magus  to  off<  r  to  buy  the 
(rifts  of  God  with  money,  what  must  it  be  to  sell  his  gifts,  his  cause, 
and  the  souls  of  men  for  money  !  and  what  reason  have  such  to  fear, 
lest  "  their  money  perish  with  them  !"     Further, 

Be  sure  that  your  concern  about  your  temporal  interest,  does  not 
prevent  your  Works  of  Charity.  Bare  words  will  hardly  convince 
men  that  you  have  any  love  to  them.  Works  of  charity  do  most  pow- 
erfully remove  men's  prejudices,  and  open  their  ears  to  the  words  of 
piety.  If  they  see  that  you  are  addicted  to  do  good,  they  will  more 
easily  believe  that  you  are  good,  and  that  it  is  good  to  which  you 
would  persuade  them.  Go  to  the  poor  to  see  what  they  want,  and  at 
once  shew  your  compassion  to  soul  and  body.  Buy  them  catechisms 
and  other  small  books  that  are  likely  to  do  them  good.  Stretch  your 
purse  to  the  utmost  of  your  power,  and  do  all  the  good  you  can.  I 
would  put  no  one  upon  extremes  :  It  is  doubtless  every  man's  duty  to 
"  provide  for  those  of  his  own  house."     But  ministers  should  educate 

*  Amici  vitia  si  feras,  facis  tua.     Seneca. 

*  Melius  est  cum  severitate  dilio^ere,  quam  cum  Icuitate  decipere.     Aug. 

\ 

\ 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOK.  371 

their  children  as  other  persons  in  low  circumstances  do,  that  they  may 
be  able  to  get  their  own  livings  in  some  honest  trade  or  employment, 
without  other  great  provisions.      You  are  bound   to  educate  them  so 
as  they  may  be  capable  of  doing  the  most  service  for  God  ;  but  not  to 
leave  them  rich.     You  should  not  forbear  necessary  works  of  charity, 
merely  to  make  a  larger  provision  for  them. — A  truly  charitable,  self- 
denying  heart,  that  hath  devoted  itself  and  all  it  hath  to  God,  would 
be  the  best  judge  of  due  proportions  ;  would   see   which   way  of  ex- 
pense is  likely  to  do  God  the  greatest  service,   and    would   cheerfully 
take  that. — Though  I  would  not  have  men   lie   under   strong  tempta- 
tions to  incontinency,  yet  I  confess  it  seems  hard  that  they  can  do  no 
more  to  mortify  the  flesh,  that  they  may  live  in  a  single,   freer  condi- 
tion, and  have  none  of  these  temptations  from  wives  and  children,  to 
hinder  them  from  promoting  the  ends   of  their   ministry  by  works  of 
charity.     It  is  pity  that  in  a  better  cause,  we  no  more  imitate  the  Pa- 
pists in  wisdom  and  self-denial,    where   it  might  be  done.* — But   if 
ministers  must  marry,  they  should  marry  such  as  can  maintain  them- 
selves and  their  children,  and  so  devote  as  much  as   they  can   of  the 
church's    means,  to  the  church's  service.     But  in  this  case,  flesh  and 
blood  make  even  good  men  so  partial,  that  they  sometimes  look  upon 
duties  (and  duties  of  very  great  importance)   to  be   extremes.     The 
flesh  will  tell  us  that  we  must   have  a   competency  :  and   many  pious 
men's  competency  is  but  little  below  the  rich  man's  rates.     If  they  be 
not   clothed   with  the   best,   and   "  fare   not   sumptuously  every  day," 
they  have   not  a  competency.     Brethren,    think   not  of  being  rich. 
Seek  not  great  things  for  yourselves  or  your  posterity.     A   man   that 
preaches  an  immortal  crown  of  glory,  must  not  seek  much  after  tran- 
sitory vanity.     He  that  teaches  others  the  contempt  of  riches,   must 
himself  contemn  them,  and  shew  it  by  his  life.     He  that  recommends 
self-denial  and  mortification,  must  practise  these  himself  in   the  eyes 
of  the  world,  if  he  would  have  his  doctrine   prosper.     All   christians, 
with  all  they  have,  are  consecrated  to  their  "  master's  use  :"  but  Min- 
isters, as  they  are  doubly  devoted  to  God,  are  doubly  obliged   to   hon- 
our him  with  their  substance.     That  man  who   has  any  thing   in   the 
world  so  dear  to  him  that  he  cannot  spare  it  for  Christ  if  he  calls   for 
it,  is  no  true  christian.     What  if  you  impoverish  yourselves  to  do  oth- 
ers good,  will  it  be  loss  or  gain?  If  you  believe  that  God  is  your   sa- 

*  The  author  has  considered  this  point  more  particularly  |n  another  place, 
(See  his  Works,  Vol.  I.  p.  382.)  thoug^h  his  advice  was,  in  this  instance,  con- 
tradicted by  his  example.  There  are,  however,  in  the  chapter'  referred  to, 
many  hints,  in  relation  to  matrimony,  less  liable  to  dispute  than  the  passag-e 
in  question. 


372  THE  RBl'ORMED  PASTOR. 

fest  purse-beaver,  and  that  to  expend  in  his  service  is  tlie  greatest 
usury,  shew  y#ur  people  that  you  do  believe  it.  Do  not  take  it  as  an 
undoing  to  "make  to  you  friends  of  the  Mammon  of  unrighteousness, 
and  to  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven,"  though  you  leave 
yourselves  but  little  on  earth. 

O  what  abundance  of  good  might  ministers  do,  if  they  would  but 
live  in  a  contempt  of  the  world  ;  the  riches,  and  glories  of  it,  and  ex- 
pend all  they  have  for  their  master's  use  !  This  would  unlock  more 
hearts  for  the  reception  of  their  doctrine  than  all  their  oratory  will  do. 
Without  this,  singularity  in  religion  will  seem  but  hypocrisy,  and  per- 
haps is  nothing  more. — Though  we  need  not  do  as  the  Papists,  who 
betake  themselves  to  monasteries,  and  cast  away  all  their  property, 
yet  we  must  have  nothing  but  what  we  have  for  Gud. — The  world 
perhaps  will  expect  more  from  us  than  we  have  ;  but  if  we  cannot 
answer  the  expectations  of  the  unreasonable,  let  us  do  what  we  can 
to  answer  the  expectations  of  God,  and  to  satisfy  conscience  and  good 
men.  Those  that  have  a  large  income  must  increase  their  charity  in 
proportion.  If  you  are  not  able  to  do  many  acts  of  charity,  shew  that 
you  are  willing,  if  you  had  ability,  by  doing  that  sort  of  good  you  can. 
IX.  Let  me  recommend  to  you  the  cultivation  and  exercise  of  Pa- 
tience, as  a  necessary  concomitant  of  your  work. 

We  must  bear  with  many  abuses  and  injuries  from  those  for  whom 
we  are  doing  good.     When  we  have  studied  for  them  and  prayed  for 
them  ;  when  we  have  exhorted  and  beseeched  them   with   all  conde- 
scension ;  when  we  have  given  them  all  we  are  able  ;  have  spent  our- 
selves for  them,  and  tendered  them  as  if  they  had  been  our  children, 
we  must  expect  that  many  will  requite  us  with  scorn,  hatred,  and  con- 
tempt ;  that  they  will  cast  our  kindness  in  our  faces  with  disdain,  and 
take  us  for  their  "  enemies  because  we  tell  them  the  truth  ;"  and  that 
"  the  more  we  love  them,  the  less  shall   we   be   beloved."     All   this 
must  be  patiently  endured,  and  still  we  must  unweariedly  hold  out  in 
doing  them  good  ;  "  in  meekness  instructing  those  that  oppose  them- 
selves, if  peradventure  God   will  give   them   repentance."     Though 
they  scornfully  reject  our  teaching,  and  bid  us  look  to  ourselves,  still 
we  must  persevere.     We  have  to  deal  with  distracted  men,   who   will 
fly  in  the  face  of  their  physician  ;  but  we  must  not  therefore   neglect 
the  cure.     He  is  very  unfit  to  be  a  physician,  who  will  be  driven  away 
from  a  frantic  patient   by  foul  words.     It  is  not  to  be  expected   that 
fools  should  make  us  as  grateful  returns   for  our   care  over  them,  as 
wise  men. — But  alas  !  how  sadly  do  most  ministers  come  off  in  this 
part  of  their  trial !   When  sinners  reproach  and  slander  them  for  their 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  373 

love,  what  heart-risings  will  there  be !  How  will  the  remnants  of  the 
old  Adam  (pride  and  passion)  struggle  against  the  meekness  and  pa- 
tience of  tlie  "new  man  !" 

X.  In  all  our  work  we  should  be  as  peaceable  as  we  can  :  We 
should  studiously  promote  union  and  communion  among  ourselves, 
and  the  unity  and  peace  of  the  churches  committed  to  our  care. 

We  must  be  sensible  how  necessary  this  is  to  the  prosperity  of 
the  whole  church  ;  the  strengthening  of  the  common  cause  ;  the  good 
of  the  particular  members  of  our  flock,  and  the  further  enlargement 
of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Ministers  therefore  should  feel  very  sen- 
sibly when  the  church  is  wounded,  and  should  be  so  far  from  being 
leaders  in  divisions,  that  they  should  consider  it  as  an  important  part 
of  their  work  to  prevent  and  heal  them.  They  should  not  only  heark- 
en to  motions  for  unity,  but  should  study  day  and  night  to  find  out 
means  to  close  breaches ;  and  should  also  propose  and  prosecute 
them.  Instead  of  quarrelling  with  our  brethren,  we  should  combine 
against  the  common  enemy. 

Most  ministers  will  speak  for  unity  and   peace  :  but   how   seldom 
do  we  see  them  addicted   to  promote   it !     Too   commonly   they  are 
jealous  of  it,  and  are  even  the  instruments  of  division.     The   Papists 
have  so  long  abused  the  name  of  Catholic  Church,  that  in   opposition 
to  them,  many  either   put  it  out  of  their  creed,   or  only   retain  the 
name,  while  ihey  understand  not,  or   consider  not  the  nature  of  the 
thing,  and  behave  not   as  members  of  that  body.     Of  the   multitude 
that  say  they  are  of  the  catholic  church,  it  is  rare  to  meet   with  men 
of  a  catholic  spirit.     They  do  not  duly  regard  the  whole  church,  but 
look  upon  their  own  party  as  if  that  were  the   whole.     Most   of  them 
will  pray  hard  for  the  prosperity  of  their   sect,  and   rejoice  and   give 
thanks  when  it  goes  well  with  them,  thinking  that  the   happiness  of 
the  rest  consists  only  in  turning  to  them  :  but  if  any  other  party  suf- 
fer, they  little  regard  it;  as  if  it  were   no  loss   at   all  to  the  church  ; 
nay,  because  they  are   not  of  their  rnind,  they  wish  for,  and   are  glad 
to  hear  of  their  fall,  imagining  that   it  is  the  way  to  the  churches  ris- 
ing.    If  they  differ  not  among  themselves,  they  are  but  little  troubled 
at  differing  from  others,  though   it   be  from   almost  all   the  christian 
world.  The  peace  of  their  party  they  take  for  the  peace  of  the  church  ; 
no  wonder  therefore  if  they  are  concerned  to  carry  it  no   further. — 
Few  grow  zealous  of  peace,  till  they  grow  old,  or   have  much  experi- 
ence of  men's  spirits  and  principles,  and   see   better  the  true  state  of 
the  church  and  the  several   differences  in  it ;  and  then  they  begin  to 
write  their  Ikenicon's,  to  leave  behind  them  when  they  are  dead,  as 


374  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

witnesses  against  a  wilful,  self-conceited,  unpeaceable  world.  Many 
of  these  are  extant  at  this  day.*  It  often  brings  a  man  under  suspi- 
cion either  of  favouring  some  heresy,  and  of  needing  an  indulgence  to 
his  own  errours  ;  or  of  having  abated  his  zeal  for  the  truth,  if  he  does 
but  attempt  a  pacificatory  work  ;  as  if  there  were  no  zeal  necessary 
for  the  great  fundamental  truths,  and  for  the  unity  and  peace  of  the 
church,  but  only  for  parties,  and  for  some  particular  doctrines. 

We  have  as  sad  divisions  among  us  in  England,  as  most  nations 
have  known  :  but  is  the  difference  between  the  several  denomina- 
tions of  Protestants  so  great  that  we  might  not  come  to  agreement  ? 
Were  we  but  heartily  willing,  I  know  we  might.  1  have  conversed 
with  some  moderate  men  of  all  parties,  and  I  perceive  by  their  con- 
cessions, that  an  union  were  an  easy  work.  If  we  could  not  in  every 
point  agree,  we  might  easily  lessen  our  differences,  and  hold  commu- 
nion upon  our  agreement  in  the  main  ;  determining  on  the  safest  way 
for  managing  our  few  and  small  differences,  without  the  danger  or 
trouble  of  the  church.  To  the  shame  of  all  our  faces  be  it  spoken, 
that  this  is  not  done.  Let  each  party  flatter  themselves  as  they  please, 
this  will  be  recorded  to  the  shame  of  the  ministers  of  England  as 
long  as  the  gospel  abides  in  the  world. 

We  confess  the  worth  of  peace  ;  we  read  and  preach  on  those 
texts,  that  command  us  to  '  follow  peace  with  all  men,'  &c.  and  yet 
we  sit  still  and  neglect  it  as  if  it  was  not  worth  looking  after  ;  and 
too  many  will  censure  and  reproach  any  that  endeavour  it,  as  if  holi- 
ness and  peace  were  so  fallen  out  that  there  were  no  reconciling 
them  ;  when  yet  we  have  found  by  long  experience  that  concord  is  a 
sure  friend  to  piety,  and  that  piety  always  tends  to  concord.  We  have 
seen  to  our  sorrow,  that  where  the  servants  of  God  should  have  lived 
too-ether  as  of  one  heart  and  voice,  promoting  each  other's  faith  and 
holiness,  and  rejoicing  together  in  the  hope  of  future  glory,  they  have, 
on  the  contrary,  lived  in  mutual  jealousies,  drowned  holy  love  in  bit- 
ter contentions,  and  studied  to  disgrace  and  undermine  one  another, 
and  to  increase  their  own  parties,  by  right  or  by  wrong. 

This  sin  of  discord  among  ministers  is  accompanied  with  many 
heinous  aggravations.  We  have  seen  how  errours  and  heresies  breed 
by  it,  as  discord  is  bred  and  fed  by  them.  Nor  have  we  ourselves 
only  scorched  in  this  flame,  but  we  have  also  drawn  our  people  into 
it,  so  that  they  are  fallen  into  several  parties,  and  have  turned  much 
of  their  ancient  piety  into  vain  opinions,  disputes,  and  animosities. 

*  See  especially  Hall's  excellent  treatise  called  "  The  Peace-maker." 
and  his  "  Pax  Tcni?.'"  which  deserve  to  be  transcribed  upon  all  our  hearts. 


THE   REFORMED  PASTOR.  375 

And  (which  is  worst  of  all)  the  common  ignorant  people  take  notice 
of  it,  and  not  only  deride  us,  but  become  hardened  against  religion. 
If  we  go  about  to  persuade  them  to  be  religious,  they  see  so  many 
parties,  that  they  know  not  which  to  join  with,  and  think  that  it  is  as 
well  to  belong  to  none  at  all  as  to  join  any,  since  they  know  not  which 
is  the  right.  Many  poor  carnal  wretches  think  themselves  in  the  bet- 
ter case,  while  they  hold  to  their  old  formalities,  and  we  hold  to  noth- 
ing. Did  we  but  agree  among  ourselves  in  the  main,  and  do  as  much 
of  God's  work  as  we  could  in  concurrent  unanimity,  our  words  would 
have  some  authority  with  them,  and  we  should  be  in  a  greater  capaci- 
ty to  do  them  good.  But  if  our  tongues  and  hearts  be  divided,  no 
wonder  if  our  work  prove  more  like  a  Barel  than  the  temple  of  God. 
It  is  not  strange  that  the  people  should  despise  us,  if  we  despise  one 
another.  Some  ministers,  by  their  bitter,  opprobrious  speeches  of  oth- 
ers, have  more  effectually  done  the  devil's  service,  under  the  name  of 
orthodoxy  and  zeal  for  the  truth,  than  the  malignant  scorners  of  god- 
liness could  possibly  have  done.  The  maltor  is  come  to  that  pass, 
that  there  are  few  men  of  note,  of  any  party,  but  who  are  so  publicly 
reproached  by  the  other  parties,  that  the  ignorant  and  wicked  rabble, 
who  should  be  converted  by  them,  have  learnt  to  be  orthodox,  and  to 
vilify  and  scorn  them.  Mistake  me  not :  I  do  not  slight  orthodoxy 
or  jeer  at  the  name,  but  only  expose  the  pretences  of  devilish  zeal  in 
pious,  or  seemingly  pious  men.  I  know  that  many  of  these  reverend 
calumniators  think  that  they  laudably  discover  that  soundness  in  the 
faith,  and  that  zeal  for  the  truth,  which  others  want :  but  I  will  re- 
solve the  case  in  the  words  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  "  Who  is  a  wise  man, 
and  endowed  with  knowledge  among  you  ?  Let  him  shew  out  of  a 
good  conversation  his  works  with  meekness  and  wisdom.  But  if  you 
have  bitter  envying  or  strife  in  your  hearts,  glory  not,  and  lie  not 
against  the  truth  ;  this  wisdom  descendeth  not  from  above,  but  is 
earthly,  sensual  and  devilish  ;  for  where  envying  and  strife  is,  there 
is  confusion  and  every  evil  work.  The  wisdom  that  is  from  above  is 
first  pure,  and  then  peaceable,  gentle  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of 
mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  partiality,  and  without  hypocrisy  ;  and 
the  fruit  of  righteousness  is  sown  in  peace  for  them  that  make  peace." 
(James  iii.  13 — 18.)  I  beseech  you  read  these  words  again  and  again, 
and  study  them  well. 

The  most  common  cause  of  our  divisions  and  unpeaceableness,  is, 
men's  high  esteem  of  their  own  opinions.  This  works  various  ways  ; 
e.  g.  by  setting  them  upon  seeking  after  novelties.  Some  are  as  busy 
in  their  inquiries  after  new  doctrines,  as  if  the  scriptures  were  not 


376 


THE   REFORMED  PASTOR. 


perfect,  and  are  for  making  new  articles  of  faith,  and  finding  out  new 
ways  to  heaven.  The  body  of  Popery  came  in  at  this  door. — Pride 
occasions  divisions  likewise,  by  putting  a  higher  rate  upon  some 
truths  than  the  church  of  Christ  had  ever  done  :  by  making  that  to 
be  of  absolute  certainty,  and  of  necessity  to  salvation,  which  had  not 
before  been  received,  or  but  as  a  doubtful  point,  and  of  a  lower  na- 
ture, which  some  were  for,  and  some  were  against,  without  any  great 
mutual  censure  :  but  especially,  when  the  pride  of  men's  hearts  makes 
them  so  over-value  their  own  conceptions,  and  to  be  so  confident 
that  they  are  in  the  right,  as  to  expect  all  others  to  be  of  their  mind, 
and  so  censorious  as  to  condemn  all  that  differ  from  their  party.  Ev- 
ery sect  is  usually  confident  in  their  own  way,  and  hereupon  arise 
such  breaches  in  affection  and  communion  as  there  are. — And  it  usu- 
ally happens  that  this  confidence  does  but  betray  men's  ignorance, 
and  shew  that  many  make  that  up  in  passion,  which  they  want  in  rea- 
son ;  zealously  condemning  what  they  little  understand.  It  is  far 
easier  to  say  that  anotlier  man  is  erroneous,  and  rail  at  him  as  a  de- 
ceiver, than  to  give  a  just  account  of  our  own  belief.  And  I  have 
observed  it  is  the  trick  of  some  that  can  scarce  give  a  reason  for  any 
controverted  part  of  their  creed,  (nor  it  may  be  of  the  fundamentals) 
to  reproach  those  that  differ  from  them  as  unsound,  in  order  to  get  the 
name  of  orthodox  divines.  Many  ministers  take  up  their  opinions 
only  in  compliance  with  their  several  parties  ;  looking  more  who  be- 
lieves them,  than  what  they  believe,  or  on  what  grounds  ;  and  too 
many  take  up  even  the  truth  itself  in  a  faction.  And  therefore  they 
must  speak  against  those  that  they  hear  speak  against  their  party. 
How  many  hot  disputes  have  I  heard,  which  the  disputants  have  been 
forced  to  manifest  they  understood  not!  Nay,  they  will  often  drive  all 
to  damnatory  conclusions,  when  they  understand  not  one  another's 
meaning,  and  are  unable,  if  you  call  upon  them  for  it,  to  give  a  defi- 
nition of  the  [terms  they  use.] — Thus  do  we  proceed,  in  a  contentious 
zeal,  to  censure  our  brethren,  and  divide  the  church. 

I  entreat  of  you,  brethren,  [carefully  to  avoid  this  evil  disposition, 
and  to]  be  very  tender  of  the  unity  and  peace,  not  only  of  your  own 
parties,  but  of  the  whole  catholic  church. — To  this  end,  keep  close 
to  the  ancient  simplicity  of  the  christian  faith,  the  foundation  and 
centre  of  catholic  unity.  Do  not  easily  introduce  any  novelties  into 
the  church  either  in  faith  or  practice.  Some  have  already  introduc- 
ed such  phrases,  at  least,  even  about  the  great  points  of  faith,  that 
there  may  be  reason  to  reduce  them  to  the  primitive  patterns.  ~ 

A  great  stir  is  made  in  the  world  about  the  test  of  a  true  christian 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  377 

(church,  with  which  we  may  hold  communion.  And  indeed  the  true 
cause  of  our  continued  unhappy  divisions,  is  the  want  of  discerning 
the  centre  of  our  unity,  and  the  terms  on  which  we  may  unite:  which 
is  a  great  pity,  since  this  was  once  so  easy  a  matter,  till  the  ancient 
test  was  thought  insufficient.  The  faith  of  the  Papists  is  too  large  for 
all  men  to  agree  upon,  or  indeed  for  themselves,  if  it  were  not  enforc- 
ed with  arguments  drawn  from  the  fire  and  the  halter.  And  many 
Protestants  do  too  much  imitate  them  in  the  tedious  length  of  their 
subscribed  confessions,  and  new  impositions.  We  may  talk  of  peace 
as  long  as  we  live,  but  we  sliall  never  obtain  it  till  we  return  to  the 
apostolical  simplicity.  We  must  abhor  the  arrogance  of  them  that 
frame  new  engines  to  wrack  and  tear  the  church  of  God,  under  pre- 
tence of  obviating  errours  and  maintaining  the  truth.  We  must  let 
no  man's  writings,  or  the  judgement  of  any  parly,  be  made  the  test 
of  truth.  If  we  thrust  into  it  all  the  canons  of  former  councils  about 
matters  of  order,  discipline,  and  ceremonies,  or  gather  up  all  the  opin- 
ions of  the  Fathers  for  the  three  or  four  first  ages,  none  of  these  will 
ever  serve  to  found  a  catholic  union  upon.  The  Scripture-sufficiency 
must  be  maintained,  and  nothing  beyond  it  imposed  on  any.  If  Pa- 
pists, or  others,  call  upon  us  for  the  standard  of  our  religion,  we  must 
shew  them  the  Bible  rather  than  any  confessions  of  churches,  or 
writings  of  men  :  more  lines  would  meet  in  this  centre  than  are  likely 
to  meet  in  any  other. — I  know  it  is  said  "that  a  man  may  subscribe 
the  scripture  and  the  ancient  creeds,  and  yet  maintain  heresies.  '  To 
which  I  answer,  so  he  may  another  test,  which  you  yourselves  shall 
contrive  ;  and  while  you  make  a  snare  to  catch  heretics,  instead  of  a 
test  for  the  church's  communion,  you  v.'ill  miss  your  end  :  the  here- 
tic, by  the  slipperiness  of  his  conscience,  will  get  through,  and  the 
tender  christian  may  possibly  be  ensnared.  Two  things  are  neces- 
sary to  obviate  heresies,  viz.  the  law,  and  the  good  execution  of  it. 
God  hath  made  the  former,  which,  both  for  sense  and  phrase,  is  suf- 
ficient :  let  us  but  do  our  part  in  the  due  execution  of  it,  and  we  shall 
do  all  that  belongs  to  us. 

This  I  would  recommend  to  all  my  brethren,  as  necessary  to  the 
church's  peace;  that  you  learn  to  distinguish  between  certainties  and 
uncertainties  ;  between  necessaries  and  unnecessaries  ;  between  ca- 
tholic truths  and  private  opinions  ;  and  lay  the  stress  upon  the  for- 
mer instead  of  the  latter.  Unite  in  necessary  truths,  and  tolerate 
tolerable  failings.  Bear  with  one  another  in  things  that  may  be  borne 
with,  and  do  not  make  larger  creeds  or  more  necessaries  than  God 
has  done.  In  order  to  this,  learn  to  see  the  true  state  of  controver- 
48 


"378  THR  HEFOKMED  PASTOK. 

sies,  and  reduce  them  to  the  point  where  the  difference  lies,  instead 
of  making  them  greater  than  they  are. — Lay  not  too  great  stress  upon 
controverted  opinions,  which  have  good  men,  and  especially  which 
have  whole  churches  on  both  sides  ;  much  less  on  such  controversies 
as  are  ultimately  resolved  into  philosophical  uncertainties  ;  as  some 
unprofitable  disputes  about  Free-will  ;  the  manner  of  the  Spirit's  op- 
eration on  the  mind;  the  divine  decrees,  &c.  &c.  But  especially 
lay  not  any  stress  upon  controversies  which  are  of  no  importance  ; 
which,  if  they  were  anatomized,  would  appear  to  be  merely  verbal  : 
of  which  sort  (I  speak  confidently  upon  certain  knowledge)  are  many 
that  now  make  a  great  noise  in  the  world,  and  rend  the  church  ; 
though  the  eager  contenders  do  not  discern,  and  will  not  believe  it. 
— He  that  shall  live  in  that  happy  day  when  God  will  heal  his  broken 
churches,  will  see  all  that  I  am  pleading  for,  reduced  to  practice. 
Moderation  will  take  place  of  dividing  zeal ;  the  scripture-sufficiency 
will  be  maintained  ;  and  all  human  confessions  and  comments  will  be 
valued  only  as  subservient  lielps.  Till  that  time  come,  we  cannot  ex- 
pect healing  truths  will  be  entertained,  since  there  are  not  healing 
spirits  in  the  leaders  of  the  church  ;  but  when  the  work  is  to  be  done, 
the  workmen  will  be  fitted  for  it ;  and  blessed  will  be  the  agents  in 
so  glorious  a  cause  ! 

But  because  the  love  of  unity  and  truth,  of  peace  and  purity, 
should  go  together,  we  must  avoid  both  the  extremes,  both  in  doctrine 
and  discipline. — One  extreme  in  Doctrine  is  making  new  additions  : 
[this  we  have  already  considered.]  The  other  is,  hindering  the  pro- 
gress of  knowledge  :  this  we  commonly  run  into  by  avoiding  the  for- 
mer. It  must  be  considered,  tlierefore,  how  far  we  may  improve,  and 
not  be  culpable  innovators.  And  (I.)  Our  knowledge  must  increase 
extensively  :  we  must  endeavour  to  know  more  truths,  though  we 
must  not  feign  more.  Much  of  scripture  will  remain  unknown  to  us 
Avhen  we  have  done  our  best.  Though  we  shall  find  out  no  more 
articles  of  faith  which  must  be  explicitly  believed  by  all  that  will  be 
saved,  yet  we  may  find  out  the  sense  of  more  particular  texts,  and 
some  doctrinal  truths,  not  contrary  to  the  former,  but  such  as  be- 
friend them  and  are  connected  with  them.  And  we  may  find  out 
more  the  order  of  truths,  and  how  they  stand  in  respect  to  one  anoth- 
er ;  and  so  we  may  see  more  of  the  true  method  of  theology  than  we 
did,  which  will  give  us  a  great  light  into  the  thing  itself.  (2.)  Our 
knowledge  must  also  grow  subjectively  and  intensively.  And  this  is 
the  principal  growth  to  be  sought  after.  We  should  endeavour  to 
know  the  same  great  and  necessary  truths  with  a  sounder  and  clearer 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  379 

understanding  than  we  did;  by  getting  more  and  stronger  evidences 
of  them,  and  a  clearer  and  deeper  appreliension  of  the  same  evidence: 
For  one  that  is  strong  in  knowledge  sees  the  same  truth  as  in  the  day- 
light, which  the  weak  see  but  as  in  the  twilight.  To  all  this  must  be 
added,  the  fuller  improvement  of  the  truth  received,  to  its  proper 
ends. 

With  respect  to  church-communion  also,  we  should  carefully  avoid 
extremes,  and  endeavour  to  preserve  purity  as  well  as  peace.  As  on 
the  one  hand  [we  should  discourage]  the  unnecessary  separation  of 
proud  men,  either  because  the  churches  do  not  fall  in  with  their  opin- 
ion, or  because  they  are  not  so  reformed  in  discipline  as  they  would 
have  them,  or  so  strict  as  they  should  be  ;  so  on  the  other  hand  we 
should  guard  against  the  neglect  or  relaxation  of  discipline,  to  the 
corrupting  of  the  church,  the  encouragement  of  wickedness,  and  the 
confounding  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  with  that  of  Satan. 

XI.  In  order  to  promote  unity  and  concord  in  the  churches,  and 
to  further  each  other  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  let  me  beseech  you  to 
maintain  meetings  for  communion  among  yourselves. 

Do  not  grow  strange  to  one  another,  but  incorporate  and  hold  all 
christian  correspondence.  Distance  breeds  strangeness,  and  sometimes, 
dividing  flames  and  jealousies,  which  conmuinion  will  prevent  or  cure. 
It  is  the  chief  [)lot  of  our  enemies  to  divide  us  in  order  to  weaken  us  : 
let  us  not  conspire  with  them.  Cherish  not  heart-burnings,  nor  con- 
tinue uncharitable  distances.  If  dividing  has  weakened  you,  uniting 
must  recover  your  authority  and  strength.  Get  together  then,  and 
consult  for  peace.  If  you  have  any  dislike  to  any  of  your  brethren, 
or  to  their  conduct,  manifest  it  by  a  free  debate  with  them.  If  you 
will  but  keep  together,  you  may  come  to  a  better  understanding  of 
each  other,  or  at  least  correct  yourselves.  The  scripture  commands 
all  christians  to  be  "of  one  mind,  and  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,"  and  obliges  ministers  to  "  be  one  even  as 
Christ  and  the  Father  are  one."  John  xvii.  21.  You  cannot  be  ig- 
norant that  the  unity  of  ministers  is  their  honour,  as  well  as  their  du- 
ty, and  that  much  of  their  strength  with  the  people  lies  in  it ;  nor, 
that  constant  communion  and  correspondence  is  necessary  in  order 
to  it. — Ministerial  communion  is  as  much  a  duty  as  christian  com- 
munion :  the  church  has  always  thought  so  and  practised  accordingly. 

Indeed  ministers  have  need  of  one  another,  and  must  improve  the 
gifts  of  God  in  one  another.  If  you  are  humble  men,  you  will  think 
that  you  have  need  of  the  advice  and  assistance  of  your  brethren. 
The  self-sufficient  are  the  most  deficient :  the  proud  are  commonly 


380  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

empty  men.  There  are  many  youn^,  raw  ministers,  who  especially 
need  the  holp  that  such  communion  may  afford  them,  and  ti)e  advice 
of  more  grave,  experienced  men,  for  carrying  on  the  work  of  their 
ministry.  And  many  others  are  so  humble  and  sensible  of  their  defi- 
ciencies, that  they  would  be  loath  to  be  deprived  of  it.  That  may 
sometimes  be  spoken  by  a  man  of  inferiour  parts,  which  came  not  into 
the  minds  of  wiser  men  :  few  ministers  are  so  weak  that  they  may  not 
sometimes  improve  those  that  are  wiser  than  themselves.  And  those 
that  are  endowed  with  greater  parts,  will  have  an  opportunity  to  do 
greater  good  with  them  [at  such  associations]  than  they  could  other- 
wise do  If  you  are  above  advice  or  any  help  to  yourselves  [that  will 
not  excuse  your  absence,  for]  your  brethren  have  the  more  need  of 
you,  by  how  much  the  less  you  have  of  them. 

But  remember  these  assemblies  are  not  merely  for  your  own  ben- 
efit and  mutual  edification,  (though  that  is  an  important  end)  but  the 
churcli  and  the  common  good  require  them.  You  owe  duty  to  your 
neighbour  churches,  as  well  as  ministers;  and  by  carrying  on  lec- 
tures, disputations,  or  conferences,  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of 
consulting  for  the  common  good  and  of  promoting  your  common  work. 
Do  not  shew  yourselves  contemners  or  neglecters  of  such  a  necessary 
business. 

Let  none  draw  back,  that  accord  in  the  substantials  of  faith  and 
godliness.  Yea,  though  some  should  think  themselves  necessitated 
to  separate  in  public  worship  from  the  rest,  methinks  if  they  be  chris- 
tians indeed  they  should  be  willing  to  hold  as  much  communion  with 
them  as  t.iey  can,  and  to  consult  how  to  manage  tjieir  differences  to 
the  least  disadvantage  to  the  christian  cause,  and  the  common  truths 
which  they  all  profess  to  own  and  prefer.  Though  they  cannot 
change  their  minds  about  those  opinions  which  hinder  their  union,  it 
might  reasonably  be  expected  of  every  party  among  us  which  profess 
themselves  christians,  that  they  should  value  the  whole  before  a  part, 
and  therefore  not  so  perversely  seek  to  promote  their  own  parties  as 
to  hinder  the  common  good  of  the  church.  And  methinks  a  little  hu- 
mility should  make  men  ashamed  of  that  common  conceit  of  unquiet 
spirits,  that  the  welfare  of  the  churches  depends  upon  [the  propaga- 
tion of]  their  opinions.  If  they  are  indeed  a  living  part  of  the  body, 
the  hurt  of  the  whole  will  be  so  much  their  own,  that  they  cannot  de- 
sire it  for  the  sake  of  any  party  or  opinion  whatever.  If  that  evil 
spirit  "  whose  name  is  Legion"  has  such  power  over  the  hearts  of  any 
that  they  will  quarrel  at  the  pacificatory  endeavours  of  others  who 
hunger  after  the  healing  of  the  church,  and  rather  hinder  them  than 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 


3S1 


help  them  on,  I  must  say,  that  how  diligently  soever  they  may  preach, 
and  how  pious  soever  they  may  seem  to  be,  if  this  way  tends  to  their 
everlasting  peace,  and  if  they  be  not  preparing  sorrow  for  themselves, 
then  lama  stranger  to  the  way  of  peace. 

It  is  past  doubt  that  differing   brethren   may  well  join   in   recom- 
mending to  the  Ignorant  people  the   truths  that   they  are  agreed   in. 
Bishop  Usher  made  a  motion  for  this  in  Ireland  even  to  the  Papists 
themselves.     "  But  (says  he)  through  the  jealousies  which  distractions 
in  matters  of  religion  have  bred   among  us,  the  motion  had  small  ef- 
fect, and  so  between  us  both,  the  poor  people  are  still  kept  in  misera- 
ble ignorance,  knowing  the  grounds  neither  of  the   one  religion  nor 
the  other."*     [This   is  very  much  the  case]   among   us  in  England. 
It  is  rare  to  find  any,  though  differing  only  in  the  point  of  Infant-bap- 
tism, that  will  calmly,  and  without  fraudulent  designs  of  secretly  pro- 
moting their  own  opinions  by  it,  entertain  and  prosecute  such   a   mo- 
tion for  the  common  good  :  as  if  they  had   rather  Christianity  should 
be  thrust  out  of  the  world,  or  kept  under,  than  [that  their  own  notions 
should  not  be  propagated.]     Well,   let  any  person   or  party  pretend 
what  they  will  of  zeal  and  holiness,  I  will  ever  take  the    "  Dividatur" 
for  an  ill  sign.     The  true  mother  abhors   the  division   of  the  child: 
(I  Kings  iii.  26.)  and  the  true  christian  prefers  the  common  interest 
of  Christianity  to  that  of  a  faction  or  opinion,  and  Vv'ould   not  have  the 
whole  building  endangered  rather  than  that  one  peg  should  be  driven 
in  otherwise  than  as  he  would  have   it. — Do   not  then  neglect   these 
brotherly  meetings  for  the  ends  that  have  been  mentioned,  nor  yet  at- 
tend them  unprofitably,  but  improve  them  to  your  mutual  edification, 
and  for  the  effectual  carrying  on  the  [good  of  the  churches.] 

Do  not  ask  why  you  cannot  do  your  duty  to  God  and  your  people 
at  home,  without  travelling  many  miles  to  a  meeting  of  ministers  ;  nor 
plead  that  you  have  business  of  your  own  to  do,  when  you  should  be 
doing  the  work  of  God  ;  nor  under  a  pretence  of  loving  to  live  pri- 
vately, prefer  your  own  ease  to  God's  service. — Some  of  those  indeed, 
that  excuse  themselves  are  careless  and  scandalous  men  :  we  should 
have  no  desire  of  their  company,  nor  admit  it,  but  upon  their  repent- 
ance and  reformation — Some  are  empty  men,  and  are  afraid  their 
weakness  should  be  known :  but  they  cannot  conceal  it  by  their  soli- 
tude, whereas  they  might  do  much  to  heal  it  by  communion  with  their 
brethren. — As  for  those  that  are  averse  to  associating  w  ith  us  because 
we  are  not  of  their  party,  [let  it  be  considered  that]  by  such  commu- 
nication they  might  give  or   receive   better   information  ;  or  at  least 

*  Sermon  before  Kinj  James  at  Wanstead,  on  the  unity  of  the  church. 


382  THE  REFORMED  I'ASTOR. 

carry  on  so  mucli  of  God's  work  in  unity  as  we  are  agreed  in.  Let 
us  resolve,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  adhere  to  more  catholic  principles 
and  practices,  and  to  have  communion  with  all  godly  christians  that 
will  have  communion  with  us.  But  some  object  to  attending  these 
associations, 

1.  Because  they  say,  "  a  few  men  commonly  do  all,  and  the  rest 
do  but  follow  them."  I  answer,  there  is  no  one  in  our  associations 
that  pretends  to  any  authority  over  his  brethren  ;  either  civil  coercive 
power,  or  ecclesiastical  directive  power.  You  cannot  say  then  that 
any  one  does  either  force  the  rest,  or  awe  them  by  any  pretended 
commission  from  Christ.  If  any  have  so  mucii  power  as  you  speak  of, 
it  seems  to  be  but  the  power  of  Truth  in  them,  and  such  as  light  hath 
against  darkness.  And  perhaps  those  that  you  call  the  leaders  of  the 
rest,  find  themselves  to  need  the  help  of  those  whom  you  say  they 
lead,  more  than  you  do  theirs.  But  if  you  do  indeed  think  that  these 
leading  ministers  mislead  the  rest,  there  is  the  more  need  of  the  pre- 
sence of  such  as  you  who  discern  it,  and  wiio  may  do  much  to  unde- 
ceive them. 

2.  I  hear  many  say,  "  under  pretence  of  associating,  you  will  but 
fall  into  a  multitude  of  fractions  :  not  two  counties  can  agree  upon 
the  same  terms  ;  and  why  should  we  join  \/ith  any  of  them  till  there 
be  a  greater  likelihood  of  union  among  themselves?" — An  unreasona- 
ble and  self-condemning  objection.  Are  they  more  divided  who  as- 
sociate, than  you  who  are  single,  and  go  every  man  his  own  way  ?  But 
wherein  does  this  diversity  consist  which  you  complain  of?  I  see 
none  so  great  [as  should  prevent  communion.]  The  truth  is,  this  ob- 
jection is  commonly  made  by  men  that  place  the  unity  of  the  church 
in  what  God  never  placed  it  in.  We  must  not  be  one  because  we 
subscribe  not  the  same  form  of  words,  and  agree  not  in  every  circum- 
stance or  expression ;  nor  shall  we  ever  be  one  while  unity  is  i)iaced 
in  such  indiiTerent  things.  There  are  no  greater  dividers  of  the 
church  ill  the  world  than  those  that  over-do  it  in  pretending  to  unity, 
and  lay  the  unity  of  the  church  upon  that  which  will  not  bear  it. 
There  is  no  possibility  of  bringing  all  to  be  of  every  formalist's  opin- 
ion, and  to  use  every  gesture  or  form  of  words  that  he  shall  impose. 
Unnecessary  impositions  will  occasion  contention  ;  whereas,  where  all 
are  left  to  their  liberty  I  never  hear  of  contention  or  offence.  In  the 
present  case  we  do  not  intend,  by  our  associating,  to  tie  one  another 
to  new  forms  and  ceremonies,  nor  to  make  new  terms  of  union  for 
the  churches  :  all  parties  may  join  with  us  without  deserting  their 
principles. — But  you  will  ask, 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  383 

3.  "  Then  what  need  have  we  to  subscribe  to  articles  of  agree- 
ment ?"  I  answer,  the  articles*  we  subscribe  are  scripture  articles : 
we  require  no  more  than  that  all  should  agree  to  perform  those  duties 
which  the  word  of  God  commands,  or  to  unite  in  those  circumstances 
of  duty  which,  (though  the  scripture  has  not  particularly  determined 
them)  may  be  discerned  from  its  general  rules,  and  with  respect  to 
which  an  agreement  may  further  us  in  our  work.  The  reason  why 
we  subscribe  to  these  articles  is,  that  we  may  hereby  awaken  our- 
selves to  those  duties  which  we  have  too  generally  neglected,  and  bind 
ourselves  faster  to  the  observance  of  them.  He  that  is  resolved  to  do 
his  duty,  is  willing  to  be  as  much  obliged  to  it  as  may  be :  when  it 
must  be  done,  the  strongest  bonds  are  the  surest.  If  it  be  no  more 
than  your  duty  already,  what  reason  have  you  to  refuse  subscribing 
it,  unless  you  are  unwilling  to  perform  it  ? — If  you  object, 

4.  "  That  some  associations  subscribe  to  such  things  as  you  can- 
not in  conscience  agree  to,"  I  desire  you  would  see  that  you  can  plead 
scripture  as  well  as  conscience  against  it.  If  it  be  but  about  indiffer- 
ent circumstances  (though  I  would  have  nothing  indifferent  imposed) 
I  must  tell  you  that  the  union  and  communion  of  the  churches  is  not 
indifferent,  and  that  therefore  you  must  not  obstruct  it  on  account  of 
such  things  as  you  acknowledge  to  be  indifferent.  But  if  the  things 
be  evil  which  are  required  of  you,  propose  the  reasons  of  your  dissent, 
and  beg  leave  to  except  those  articles  with  which  you  are  dissatisfied, 
without  unnecessarily  withdrawing  from  your  brethren's  communion  : 
of  which,  no  doubt,  if  they  be  peaceable  men,  they  will  readily  admit. 
But  if  they  would  force  you  to  subscril)e  against  your  judgement,  or 
else  hold  no  communion  with  you,  then  they  exclude  you,  and  you 
do  not  exclude  yourselves.  But  I  hope  no  associations  among  us  will 
be  guilty  of  such  a  practice. — [In  order  to  render  these  meetings  use- 
ful, observe  the  following  DiRECTtoiVs.] 

Friends  !  especially  quarrel  not  upon  points  of  precedency,  or  re- 
putation, or  any  interest  of  your  own.  No  man  will  have  settled 
peace  in  his  mind,  or  be  peaceable  in  his  place,  that  proudly  envies 
the  precedency  of  others,  and  secretly  grudges  at  them  that  seem  to 
cloud  his  parts  and  name.  One  or  other  will  ever  be  an  eye-sore  to 
such  men.  There  is  too  much  of  the  devil's  image  in  this  sin,  for  an 
humble  servant  of  Christ  to  entertain. — Be  not  too  sensible  of  inju- 
ries, nor  make  too  great  a  matter  of  every  offensive  word  or  deed. 
At  least  do  not  let  it  interrupt  your  concord  in    God's   work  :  that 

*  The  Author  here  refers  to  the  articles  subfcrihed  by  the  miiiisleis  in 
Worcestershire,  mentioned  in  the  Preface  to  this  Abridgement. 


384  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

were  to  wrong  Christ  and  his  church,  because  another  has  wronged 
you.  If  yon  be  of  this  impatient  humour  you  will  never  be  quiet:  for 
we  are  all  faulty,  and  cannot  live  together  without  wronging  one  an- 
other. And  these  proud,  over-tender  men,  are  often  hurt  by  their 
own  conceits  :  like  a  man  that  has  a  sore,  who  thinks  that  it  smarts 
the  more  when  he  imagines  some  body  hits  it.  They  will  often  think 
that  a  man  jeers  them  or  means  them  ill,  when  it  never  came  into  his 
thoughts. — Till  this  self  be  taken  down,  we  shall  every  man  have  a 
private  interest  of  his  own,  which  will  lead  us  all  into  separate  ways, 
and  spoil  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  church.  While  every  man  is 
for  himself  and  his  own  reputation,  and  "  all  mind  their  own  things," 
no  wonder  if  they  "  mind  not  the  things  of  Christ." 

XII.  [Do  not  confine  your  ministerial  labours  to  your  own  flock, 
but  be  ready  to  do  good  wherever  you  have  an  opportunity  for  it.] 

If  we  are  heartily  devoted  to  the  work  of  the  Lord,  let  us  compas- 
sionate the  congregations  about  us  that  are  unprovided  for,  and  en- 
deavour to  help  them  to  able  ministers.  In  the  mean  time,  we  should 
step  out  now  and  then  to  their  assistance,  when  the  business  of  our 
own  particular  charge  will  give  us  leave. — A  lecture  in  the  more  ig- 
norant places,  purposely  for  the  work  of  conversion,  carried  on  by  the 
most  lively,  affectionate  preachers,  might  be  very  useful  where  con- 
stant means  are  wanting. 

XIII.  In  your  whole  ministerial  work,  keep  up  constant  desires 
and  expectations  of  success. 

If  your  hearts  be  not  set  on  the  end  of  your  labours,  and  if  you  do 
notJong  to  see  the  conversion  and  edification  of  your  hearers,  and 
study  and  preach  in  hope,  you  are  not  likely  to  see  much  success.  It 
is  a  siofn  of  a  false,  self-seeking  heart,  when  a  person  is  contented  to 
be  still  doing,  without  seeing  any  fruit  of  his  labour.  And  I  have  ob- 
served that  God  seldom  blesses  any  man's  work  so  much  as  his  whose 
heart  is  set  upon  the  success  of  it. — Let  it  be  the  property  of  a  Judas 
to  have  more  regard  to  the  bag  than  to  the  business :  leave  it  to  such 
worldlings  as  he  to  be  satisfied,  if  they  have  their  salary,  and  the  es- 
teem of  ihe  people  :  but  let  all  that  preach  for  Christ  and  the  salvation 
of  men,  be  dissatisfied  till  they  have  the  thing  they  preach  for.  He 
never  had  the  right  ends  of  a  preacher  ii  view,  who  is  indifferent 
whether  he  obtains  them  or  not ;  who  is  not  grieved  when  he  misses 
them,  and  rejoiced  when  he  can  see  the  desired  issue.  When  a  man 
only  studies  what  to  say,  and  how  to  spend  the  hour  with  commenda- 
tion, without  looking  any  more  after  it,  but  to  know  what  the  people 
think  of  his  abilities,  and  thus  holds  on   from  year  to  year,   I  must 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  385 

needs  think  that  he  preaches  for  himself;  that  he  drives  on  a  private 
trade  of  his  own  ;  and  that  when  he  preaches  Christ,  he  preaches  no^ 
FOR  Christ,  how  excellently  soever  he  may  seem  to  do  it. — I  know 
that  a  faithful  minister  may  have  comfort  when  he  wants  success: 
'  though  Israel  be  not  gathered,  our  reward  is  with  the  Lord.'  Our 
acceptance  is  not  according  to  our  fruit,  but  according  to  our  labour. 
But  then  he  who  longs  not  for  the  success  of  his  labours,  can  have 
none  of  this  comfort,  because  he  is  not  a  faithful  labourer.  This  is 
only  for  them  whose  hearts  are  set  upon  the  end,  and  grieved  if  they 
miss  it.  This  is  not  the  full  comfort  that  we  must  desire,  but  only 
what  may  quiet  us,  if  (notwithstanding  our  utmost  care)  we  fail  of  the 
rest.  What  if  God  will  accept  the  physician  though  the  patient  die  1 
He  must  still  work  in  compassion,  and  do  his  utmost  to  save  his  life. 
We  labour  not  for  our  own  reward,  but  for  other  men's  salvation. — I 
confess  for  my  part,  that  I  wonder  at  some  ancient,  reverend  men,  who 
have  lived  thirty,  or  forty,  or  fifty  years  with  an  unprofitable  people, 
where  they  have  been  scarcely  able  to  discern  any  fruit  of  their  la- 
bours, that  they  can  with  so  much  patience  continue  there.  I  should 
not  be  easily  satisfied  to  spend  my  days  in  such  a  manner  ;  but  should 
suspect  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  I  should  go  some  where  else,  that 
another  person  might  come  there,  better  suited  to  them,  and  more 
useful  among  them.     Once  more, 

XIV.  Our  whole  work  must  be  carried  on  under  a  deep  sense  of 
our  own  insufficiency,  and  in  a  pious,  believing  dependance  upon 
Christ. 

We  must  go  to  him  for  liglit,  and  life,  and  strength,  who  sends  us 
on  our  work  When  we  feel  our  faith  weak,  and  our  hearts  grown 
dull,  and  unsuitable  to  so  great  a  work  as  that  we  have  to  do,  we  must 
have  recourse  to  the  Lord,  and  pray  that  we  may  not  go  to  persuade 
others  to  believe,  with  an  unbelieving  heart  of  our  own  :  or  to  plead 
with  sinners  about  everlasting  life  and  death,  while  we  have  but  a 
faint  belief  and  feeling  of  these  things  ourselves  ;  but  that,  as  he  has 
sent  us  forth  to  his  work,  he  would  furnish  us  with  a  spirit  suitable  to 
it. — [Further,  we  must  not  only  pray  for  ourselves,  but  we  must  often 
pray  in  behalf  of  all  our  hearers.]  Prayer  must  carry  on  our  work,  as 
well  as  preaching.  He  preaches  not  heartily  to  his  people,  who  will 
not  often  pray  for  them.  If  we  prevail  not  with  God  to  give  them 
faith  and  repentance,  we  are  unlikely  to  prevail  with  them  to  be- 
lieve and  repent.  Paul  gives  us  his  example  in  this  respect,  who 
tells  us  that  he  prayed  for  his  hearers  '  night  and  day  exceedingly.' 
(1  Thess.  ii.  10.)  Since  our  own  hearts  and  those  of  our  people  are 
40 


38t>  THii  RErORMKD  I'ASTOR, 

SO  far  out  of  order  as  they  be,  if  we  prevail  not  with  God  to  help  and 
mend  them,  we  are  likely  to  make  but  unsuccessful  work. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  COiVCLUSION  OF  THE  WORK  ;    BEING  A   PARTICULAR  APPLICATION 
OF  THE   WHOLE. 

Reverend  and  dear  brethren,  [having  taken  a  survey  of  our  duty 
and  of  our  sins]  let  us  now  humble  our  souls  before  the  Lord  for  our 
past  negligence,  and  implore  his  assistance  for  the  time  to  come.  In- 
deed we  cannot  expect  the  latter  without  the  former.  If  God  will 
help  us  in  our  future  duty,  he  will  certainly  first  humble  us  for  our 
past  sin.  He  that  has  not  so  much  sense  of  his  faults  as  unfeignedly  to 
lament  them,  will  hardly  have  sufficient  to  make  him  reform  them. — 
Shall  WE  deny,  or  excuse,  or  extenuate  our  sins,  while  we  call  our 
people  to  such  free  confessions  ?  It  is  too  common  with  us  to  expect 
that  from  them,  which  we  do  little  or  nothing  of  ourselves.  Too  many 
labour  for  other  men's  souls,  while  they  seem  to  forget  that  they  have 
any  of  their  own  to  regard.  They  act  as  if  their  part  lay  only  in  cal- 
ling for  repentance,  and  the  hearer's  in  repenting  :  theirs  in  crying 
down  sin,  and  the  people's  in  forsaking  it :  theirs  in  preaching  duty, 
and  the  hearer's  in  performing  it.  If  we  did  but  study  half  so  much 
to  affect  and  mend  our  own  hearts,  as  we  do  to  affect  and  mend  those 
of  our  people,  it  would  not  be  with  many  of  us  as  it  is.  It  is  much 
too  little  that  we  do  for  their  humiliation,  but  I  fear  it  is  much  less 
that  we  do  for  our  own.  It  is  a  sad  thing  that  so  many  of  us  have 
preached  our  hearers  asleep;  but  it  is  worse  still,  if  we  have  studied 
and  preached  ourselves  asleep  ;  and  have  talked  so  long  against  hard- 
ness of  heart,  till  our  hearts  are  grown  hard  under  the  noise  of  our 
own  reproofs  ! — Is  it  not  better  to  give  God  glory  by  a  full  and  hum- 
ble confession,  than  in  tenderness  of  our  own  glory  to  seek  for  '  fig- 
leaves  to  cover  our  nakedness  V  and  to  put  God  upon  building  that 
glory  which  we  have  denied  him,  on  the  ruins  of  our  own,  which  we 
have  preferred  to  his  ? 

It  is  certainly  our  duty  to  call  to  remembrance  our  manifold  sins, 
especially  those  that  are  most  obvious,  and  '  set  them  in  order'  before 
God  and  our  own  faces,  that  he  may  '  cast  them  behind  his  back :' 
to  deal  plainly  and  faithfully  with  ourselves,  in  a  free  confession,  that 
he  who  is  '  faithful  and  just  may  forgive  us  our  sins  ;  and  to  judge 


THE   REFORMED  PASTOR.  387 

ourselves  that  we  may  not  be  judged  of  the  Lord  ;'  for  they  only 
(whether  pastors  or  people)  who  '  confess  and  forsake  their  sins,  shall 
find  mercy  ;  he  that  hardeneth  his  neck  shall  fall  into  mischief  (Prov. 
xxviii.  13.) — [We  should  not  refrain  from  confessing  our  sins  even  in 
PUBLIC  :]  truly  humble  ministers,  I  doubt  not,  will  rather  be  provoked 
more  solemnly  in  the  face  of  their  several  congregations  to  lament 
their  guilt,  and  promise  reformation.  Sins  openly  committed  are 
more  dishonourable  to  us  when  we  hide  them,  than  when  we  confess 
them.  It  is  the  sin,  and  not  the  confession  of  it,  that  is  our  dishon- 
our. We  have  committed  them  before  the  sun,  so  that  they  cannot 
be  hid  :  attempts  to  cloak  them  increase  the  guilt  and  shame. — It 
will  not  be  amiss  to  look  behind  us  and  imitate  the  servants  of  God 
in  ancient  times,  in  their  confessions.  We  find  in  scripture  that  the 
guides  of  the  church  did  confess  their  own  sins  as  well  as  those  of  the 
people.  See  the  example  of  Ezra  ;  he  confessed  the  sins  of  the 
priests,  '  casting  himself  down  before  the  house  of  God.'  (Ezra  ix.  6, 
7,  10.)  So  did  the  Levites  :  (Neh.  ix.  32—34.)  So  did  Daniel.  (Dan. 
ix.  20.)  And  God  expressly  required  '  the  Priests  and  Ministers  of 
the  Lord  to  weep'  (Joel  ii.  15 — 17.)  as  well  as  others. 

I  think,  if  we  consider  well  the  duties  that  have  been  explained 
and  recommended,  and  at  the  same  lime,  the  manner  in  which  we 
have  performed  them,  we  cannot  doubt  whether  we  have  cause  for 
humiliation.  He  that  reads  this  one  exhortation  of  Paul  from  whence 
the  text  is  taken,  and  compares  his  life  with  it,  is  stupid  and  harden- 
ed indeed  if  he  be  not  laid  in  the  dust  before  God,  bewailing  his  great 
omissions;  and  forced  to  fly  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  his  pardoning 
grace.  O  !  What  cause  have  we  all  to  bleed  before  the  Lord,  that  we 
have  been  ministers  so  many  years,  and  yet  have  done  so  little  (es- 
pecially by  private  conference)  for  the  saving  of  men's  souls  !  Had 
we  done  our  duty,  who  knows  how  many  souls  might  have  been 
brought  to  Christ,  and  how  much  happier  we  might  have  been  in  our 
parishes  ?  And  why  did  we  not  do  it  ?  Many  impediments  were 
doubtless  in  our  way  ;  but  if  the  greatest  had  not  been  in  ourselves, — 
in  our  darkness  and  dulness,  our  indisposition  to  duty,  and  our  divis- 
ions among  ourselves,  much  more  might  have  been  done  for  God  than 
has  yet  been  done.  We  have  sinned,  and  have  no  just  excuse 
for  our  sin.  The  sin  is  great  because  our  duties  were  great :  We 
should  therefore  be  afraid  of  excusing  ourselves  too  much. — "  The 
Lord  of  mercy  forgive  us,  and  all  his  ministers,  and  lay  not  any  of  our 
ministerial  negligence  to  our  charge  !  Oh  that  he  would  cover  all 
our  unfaithfulness,  and   by  'the   blood  of  the  everlasting  covcnruit' 


38S  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

wash  away  our  guilt  of  the  blood  of  souls  !  That  '  when  the  chief 
shepherd  shall  appear,  we  may  stand  before  him  in  peace,'  and  may 
not  be  condemned  for  '  scatlerin£i  of  his  flock.'  " 

And  now,  brethren,  what  have  we  to  do  for  the  time  to  come,  but 
to  deny  our  lazy,  contradicting  flesh,  and  rouse  up  ourselves  to  the 
great  business  in  which  we  are  employed  ?  '  The  harvest  is  great,  the 
labourers  are  too  kw' — The  loiterers  and  contentious  hinderers  are 
many — The  souls  of  men  are  precious — The  misery  of  sinners  is 
great — The  everlasting  torment  to  which  they  are  near  is  greater — 
The  joy  to  which  we  ought  to  help  them  is  inconceivable — The 
beauty  and  glory  of  the  church  is  desirable — Our  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers are  many  and  great — The  comfort  that  attends  a  faithful  stew- 
ard:*hip  is  greater — But  that  which  attends  a  full  success  is  inexpres- 
-sible — And  the  honour  conferred  upon  us  who  are  called  to  be  '  co- 
workers with  God.'  and  to  subserve  the  blood  shed  of  Christ  for  the 
salvation  of  men,  is  illustrious  beyond  comparison — '  The  fields  now 
seem  white  for  harvest ;'  for  the  preparations  that  have  been  made  for 
us  are  great — The  season  for  working  is  now  more  warm  and  calm 
than  most  ages  have  been — We  have  carelessly  loitered  in  our  work 
too  long — The  present  time  is  posting  away  :  while  we  are  trifling, 
men  are  dying,  and  passing  in  haste  to  the  eternal  world  ! — And  is 
there  nothing  in  all  this  to  awaken  us  to  our  duty,  and  to  engage  us 
to  speedy  and  unwearied  diligence  1  Is  it  possible  for  a  man  to 
be  too  careful  and  laborious  under  all  these  motives  and  engage- 
ments ? 

Were  but  our  souls  clearly  and  deeply  impressed  [with  these  con- 
siderations,] and  with  the  very  important  truths  we  preach,  especially 
those  that  relate  to  a  future  world,  O  what  a  change  would  it  make  in 
our  sermons  and  in  our  private  discourse  !  If  we  did  but  know  what 
it  is  for  the  soul  to  pass  out  of  the  flesh,  to  go  before  a  righteous  God, 
and  enter  on  a  state  of  unchangeable  joy  or  torment,  and  with  what 
amazing  thoughts  dying  men  apprehend  these  things,  how  differently 
would  such  matters  be  discoursed  of!  Oh  the  gravity,  the  serious- 
ness, the  incessant  diligence  these  things  require  !  I  know  not  what 
others  think  of  them  ;  but  for  my  own  part,  I  am  ashamed  of  my  stu- 
pidity and  wonder  at  myself  that  I  deal  no  more  with  my  own  and 
other  men's  souls,  as  becomes  one  that  looks  for  '  the  great  day  of 
the  Lord  ;' — that  I  can  leave  room  for  almost  any  other  thoughts  or 
words,  and  that  such  astonishing  matters  do  not  wholly  take  me  up  ! 
I  seldom  come  out  of  the  pulpit,  but  my  conscience  smites  me  that  I 
have  been  no  more  serious  and   fervent.     It  accuses  me  not  so  much 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  ii89 

for  want  of  elegance  or  human  ornaments,  nor  for  letting  fall  an  un- 
handsome word  ;  but  it  asks  me — "  How  couldst  thou  speak  of  ever- 
lasting life  and  death  with  such  a  heart?  How  couldst  thou  preach 
about  heaven  and  hell  in  so  careless  and  sleepy  a  manner  ?  Dost 
thou  believe  what  thou  sayest  ?  Art  thou  in  earnest,  or  in  jest  1  How 
canst  thou  tell  people  that  sin  is  so  evil  a  thing,  and  that  its  conse- 
quences are  so  dreadful,  without  being  more  affected  with  it  1  Shouldst 
thou  not  weep  over  sinners,  even  till  thy  tears  interrupt  thy  words  ? 
Shouldst  thou  not  '  cry  aloud,  and  shew  them  their  transgressions,' 
and  shouldst  thou  not  intreat  them  to  repent  and  believe,  with  the 
utmost  importunity  V  Such  is  the  peal  that  conscience  rings  in  my 
ears,  and  yet  my  drowsy  soul  will  not  be  awakened.  What  a  dread- 
ful thing  is  a  senseless,  hardened  heart ! — "  Lord,  save  as  from  the 
plague  of  infidelity,  and  hardness  of  heart !  or  how  shall  we  be  fit  in- 
struments of  saving  others  from  it  ?  and  do  that  on  our  souls,  which 
thou  wouldst  have  us  do  on  the  souls  of  others  ?" — I  am  even  con- 
founded to  think  what  difference  there  is  between  my  apprehensions 
of  the  life  to  come  in  a  time  of  sickness,  and  at  other  seasons. — O 
brethren,  if  you  had  conversed  with  death  as  often  as  1  have  done, 
and  as  often  received  the  sentence  in  yourselves,  you  would  have  an 
unquiet  conscience,  if  not  a  reformed  life,  with  regard  to  ministerial 
diligence.  You  would  have  something  within  you  that  would  often 
ask  you  such  questions  as  these :  "  Is  this  all  thy  compassion  for  lost 
sinners  ?  Wilt  thou  do  no  more  to  seek  and  save. them?"  Is  there  not 
such  and  such  an  one — are  there  not  many  round  about  thee,  who  are 
yet  the  visible  sons  of  death  ?  What  hast  thou  said  to  them,  or  done 
for  their  recovery  ?  Shall  thousands  die  and  go  to  hell  before  thou  wilt 
speak  one  serious  word  to  prevent  it  ?  Will  they  not  tliere  curse  thee 
forever  that  thou  didst  no  more  in  time  to  save  them  ?"  Such  cries  of 
conscience  are  daily  in  my  ears,  though  the  Lord  knows  I  have  too 
little  obeyed  them.  I  confess  that  I  seldom  hear  the  bell  toll  for  one 
that  is  dead,  but  conscience  asks  me,  "  What  hadst  thou  done  for  the 
saving  of  that  soul  before  it  left  the  body?  There  is  one  more  gone 
into  eternity  ;  what  didst  thou  do  to  prepare  him  for  it?" — When  you 
are  laying  a  corpse  in  the  grave,  how  can  you  help  reflecting  with 
yourselves  to  this  purpose  :  "  Here  lies  the  body,  but  where  is  the 
soul  1  What  did  I  do  for  it  before  it  departed  1  It  was  part  of  my 
charge  ;  what  account  can  I  give  of  it?" — O  sirs  !  is  it  a  small  matter 
to  answer  such  questions  as  these  ?  It  may  seem  so  now  ;  but  the 
hour  is  coming  when  it  will  appear  otherwise.     'If our  hearts  con- 


o90  THE  REFOUMED  PASTOR. 

demn  us,  God  is  greater  than  our  hearts,'  and  will  condemn  us  more. 
We  may  plead  the  cause  with  conscience,  and  either  bribe  it,  or  en- 
dure its  sentence ;  but  God  is  not  so  easily  dealt  with,  nor  his  sen- 
tence so  easily  borne.  "  Wherefore,  we  receiving  (and  preaching)  a 
kingdom  which  cannot  be  moved,  let  us  have  grace  whereby  we  may 
serve  God  acceptably,  with  reverence  and  godly  fear  ;  for  our  God 
is  a  consuming  fire.'  (Heb.  xiii.  ult.)  Let  me  beseech  you,  brethren, 
on  the  behalf  of  Christ,  for  the  sake  of  the  church,  and  the  immortal 
souls  of  men  ; — for  your  own  souls'  sake,  that  you  presently  and  effec- 
tually set  about  the  work  which  I  have  been  principally  recommend- 
ing. Hearken  to  God  and  the  calls  of  duty,  if  you  would  have  peace 
of  conscience.  I  know  that  carnal  wit  never  wants  words,  nor  a 
shew  of  reason,  to  gainsay  that  truth  and  duty  which  it  abhors  :  it  is 
easier  to  cavil  against  duty  than  to  perform  it.  But  consider  how  the 
matter  will  appear  on  a  death-bed,  and  what  account  you  will  give  to 
God  at  the  great  day.  Conscience  will  not  own  those  reasons  in  a 
dvino"  hour,  which  now  it  seems  to  admit.  There  is  not  that  comfort 
to  be  had  for  a  departing  soul  in  the  view  of  neglected  duty,  as  of  a 
life  wholly  devoted  to  the  service  of  God  :  and  I  am  confident  my  ar- 
guments will  appear  strongest  at  last,  whatever  they  may  do  now. 

O  think  how  dreadful  and  aggravated  our  final  condemnation  will 
be,  if  we  live  and  die  wilful  neglecters  of  the  great  work  we  have  un- 
dertaken ! — Our  parents  that  destined  us  to  the  ministry — our  tutors 
that  educated  us  for  it — our  learning  and  ministerial  gifts — our  vol- 
untarily undertaking  the  care  of  souls — all  the  care  of  God  for  his 
church — all  that  Christ  has  done  and  suffered  for  it — all  the  precepts, 
promises,  and  threatnings  of  the  holy  scriptures — all  the  examples  of 
prophets,  apostles,  and  preachers  there  recorded — and  all  the  books 
in  our  studies  that  tell  us  of  our  duty,  or  any  way  assist  us  in  it,  will 
rise  in  judgement  against  us  ! — All  the  sermons  that  we  have  preach- 
ed, to  convince  men  of  the  danger  of  sin,  of  the  torments  of  hell,  and 
the  joys  of  heaven  ;  to  quicken  them  in  their  duty,  or  to  reprove 
their  neglect — all  the  maintenance  we  take  for  our  service — all  the 
honour  we  receive  from  the  people — and  the  ministerial  privileges  we 
enjoy — all  the  witness  we  have  borne  against  the  neglects  of  minis- 
ters— all  the  judgements  and  mercies  of  God  with  which  we  have 
been  acquainted — all  the  fervent  prayers  of  God's  people  that  have 
been  offered  on  our  account — and  finally,  all  our  vows,  promises,  and 
resolutions  for  diligence  in  our  work,  will  at  the  last  great  day  ag- 
gravate our  condemnation,  if  we  are  found  unfaithful  in  our  master's 
service. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  391 

Thus  have  I  shewn  you  [the  nature  and  importance  of  your  work, 
the  obligations  under  which  you  are  laid  to  perform  it,  and]  what  will 
be  the  consequence,  if  you  do  not  set  yourselves  faithfully  to  it.  Tru- 
ly, brethren,  if  I  did  not  apprehend  the  matter  to  be  of  exceeding 
great  moment  to  yourselves,  to  your  people,  and  to  the  honour  of  God, 
I  would  not  have  troubled  you  with  so  many  words  about  it,  nor  have 
presumed  to  speak  so  sharply  as  I  have  done.  But  in  an  affair  of  life 
and  death,  men  are  apt  to  forget  their  reverence,  courtesy,  and  com- 
pliments, commonly  called  good  manners.  For  my  part,  I  appre- 
hend this  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  and  best  works  that  I  ever  put  my 
hand  to,  in  my  whole  life.  I  verily  believe  you  will  agree  with  me 
herein  :  and  if  you  do,  you  will  not  think  me  too  prolix,  or  too  plain 
and  severe.  As  for  myself,  s|)are  not ;  tread  me  as  dirt  in  the 
streets;  let  me  be  as  vile  in  your  eyes  as  you  please,  so  that  you  will 
but  hearken  to  God  and  reason,  and  do  your  duty,  for  the  salvation  of 
men.  What  am  I  but  a  servant  of  Christ?  and  what  is  my  life  worth, 
but  to  do  him  service?  Whose  favour  can  recompense  for  the  ruins 
of  the  church  ?  And  who  can  be  silent  while  souls  are  undone? 
Not  I,  for  my  part,  while  God  is  my  master,  his  word  my  rule,  his 
work  my  business,  and  the  success  of  it,  for  the  saving  of  souls,  my 
end.  I  know  myself  unworthy  to  be  your  monitor;  but  a  monitor 
you  must  have  ;  and  it  is  better  to  hear  of  our  sin  and  our  duty  from 
any  body,  than  not  at  all.  Receive  the  admonition,  and  you  will  see 
no  cause,  in  the  monitor's  unworthiness,  to  repent  of  it :  but  remem- 
ber, if  you  reject  it,  the  unworthiest  messenger  may  bear  that  witness 
against  you  that  will  shame  and  condemn  you. — [I  shall  only  add,  as 
the  sum  of  all  that  has  been  said,] 

Let  us  set  before  us  the  exhoriatiou,  and  the  example  given  us  in  our 
text  and  context,  and  learn  our  duty  from  thence.  This  one  passage 
of  scripture  better  deserves  a  whole  year's  study,  than  most  things 
about  which  students  are  apt  to  spend  their  time.  O  brethren,  write 
it  on  your  study  doors,  or  set  it  as  your  copy  in  capital  letters  contin- 
ually before  your  eyes.  Could  we  but  learn  two  or  three  lines  of  it, 
what  preachers  should  we  be  !  Here  we  are  taught — Our  general 
business  ;  serving  the  Lord. — Our  special  work  ;  taking  heed  to  our- 
selves and  all  the  flock. — The  substance  of  our  doctrine  ;  repentance 
towards  God,  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.— lihe  places  and 
manner  of  our  teaching  ;  jiublicly,  and  from  house  to  house. — The  ob- 
ject and  internal  manner  ;  warning  evert/  one,  night  and  day,  irith  all 
humility  of  mind,  and  with  tears. — [The  faithfulness  and  integrity 
that  are  requisite:  I  have  kept  back  nothing  that  was  projiiable  unto 


392  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

you  ;  I  am  pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men,  for  I  have  not  shunned  to 
declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God.] — The  innocence  and  self-denial  to 
be  used  ;  /  have  coveted  no  man's  silver  or  gold. — The  patience  and 
resolution  to  be  exercised  ;  no7ie  of  these  things  move  me,  neither  count 
I  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my  course  with  joy> 
and  the  ministi-y  w/iich  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus.- — And  once 
more,  The  motives  to  engage  us  to  all  this  ;  The  Holy  Ghost  has 
made  us  overseers ;  the  church  we  feed  is  the  church  of  God,  lohich 
he  hath  purchased  with  his  own  blood. 

Write  this  upon  your  hearts,  and  it  will  do  yourselves  and  the 
church  more  good  than  twenty  years'  study  of  those  lower  things 
which  often  employ  your  thoughts ;  which,  though  they  get  you 
greater  applause  in  the  world,  yet,  if  separated  froni- these,  will  make 
you  '  but  sounding  brass,  and  tinkling  cymbals.' 


APPENDIX, 

CONTAINING  A  FEW  HINTS  OF    ADVICE    TO  STUDENTS*  FOR    THE    MINIS- 
TRY   AND    TO    TUTORS. 

Of  what  great  importance  the  character  of  the  clergy  is  to  the 
church  and  the  salvation  of  men,  thousands  have  found  totheir  joy  and 
happiness  ?  and  I  fear  thousands  more,  to  their  sorrow  and  destruction. 
Of  what  consequence,  then,  the  disposition  of  Candidates  for  the 
ministry  is,  needs  not  many  words  to  shew.  It  is  of  unspeakable  im- 
portance, whether  they  prove  good  or  bad. 

God,  who  has  instituted  the  sacred  office,  and  who,  by  his  Spirit, 
qualifies  men  for  it,  usually  works  according  to  their  qualifications. 
As  in  the  natural  world  he  operates  according  to  the  fitness  of  nat- 
ural second  causes,  so  in  the  moral  world,  according  to  the  suitable- 
ness of  moral  causes.  Holiness,  though  in  many  respects  it  be  a  su- 
pernatural work,  is  usually  wrought  by  holy  means.  Able  and  faith- 
ful ministers,  therefore,  are  very  great  blessings.  They  are  the  '  lights 
of  the  world,  and  the  salt  of  the  earth.'  Never  was  the  gospel  well 
propagated  or  continued  in  any  country  but  by  their  means.  God 
uses  them  as  his  instruments  for  convincing,  converting,  edifying, 
comforting,  and  saving  souls.  Herein  they  are  co-workers  with 
Christ,  the  great  Saviour  of  souls,  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  re- 
generates and  sanctifies  them.  How  many  thousands  of  happy  spir- 
its in  heaven  will  forever  rejoice  in  the  effects  of  their  labours,  and 
bless  God  for  them  !  In  a  word,  churches,  states,  and  kingdoms  are 
chiefly  blessed  and  preserved  by  the  faithful  part  of  the  ministry. 
They  are  the  means  of  subduing  '  sin  which  is  the  destruction  of  a 
people,'  and  promoting  '  righteousness  which  exalteth  a  nation.' 

On  the  other  hand,  unfaithful  and  wicked  ministers  are  the 
worst,  and  most  hurtful  men.  Though  they  may  be  furnished  with  the 
same  notions  and  words  as  godly  teachers  are,  (which  is  not  usually 
the  case)  yet  they  will  be  greatly  wanting   in  that  serious  delivery 

*  Many  excellent  thoughts,  on  the  same  subject,  may  be  found  iu  several 
other  of  our  Author's  writings,  which  it  is  to  be  wished  he  had  thrown  togeth- 
er in  one  Treatise.     See  particularly  Vol.  I,  p.  25  1,  and 7 14,  ct  seq. 

50 


394 


TilE  REFORMED  PASTOR, 


wjiiclj  is  ordinarily  necessary  to  make  the  hearers  serious  christians. 
That  seldom  reaches  the  heart  of  the  hearer,  which  comes  not  from 
the  heart  of  the  speaker.  Constant  experience  tells  us  how  different 
is  the  success  of  reading  or  saying  a  pulpit  lesson,  in  a  dull,  or  mere 
aflected  manner ;  and  of  the  judicious,  serious  explication,  and  appli- 
cation of  well  chosen  matter,  which  the  experienced  preacher  well 
understands,  and  which  he  utters  from  the  feeling  of  his  soul.  Nei- 
ther the  love  of  a  henefice,  nor  of  applause,  will  make  a  man  preach 
in  that  manner  which  the  love  of  God,  the  lively  belief  of  heaven  and 
hell,  and  the  desire  of  saving  souls,  will  do — If  a  stage-hypocrite 
should  learn  the  art  of  preaching  with  an  affected  fervency  and  seem- 
ing zeal,  yet  art  and  paint  will  not  reach  the  power  and  beauty  of  na- 
ture;  nor  will  it  hold  out  so  long.  Affectation  usually  betrays  itself; 
and  when  it  is  discerned,  the  hypocrite  is  loathed.  But  if  he  should 
carry  on  his  stage-affectation  with  plausible  art,  the  rest  of  his  minis- 
terial work  will  not  be  discharged  in  a  manner  answerable  to  it : 
since  it  is  from  men  that  he  expects  his  reward,  in  their  sight  only  he 
appears  in  his  borrowed  glory  ;  in  his  private  conversation  and  con- 
duct, he  makes  a  different  figure.  He  will  not  set  himself  to  instruct 
the  ignorant,  to  save  men  from  their  sins,  and  raise  their  minds  to 
heaven,  by  praying  with  them,  by  holy  discourse,  and  heavenly  de- 
portment :  he  will  not  be  at  much  cost  or  labour  to  do  any  kind  of 
real  good. 

But  alas!  by  far  the  greatest  part  of  inexperienced  preachers  have 
not  so  much  as  the  hypocrite's  seeming  zeal  and  appearance  of  relig- 
ion, to  cloak  their  sins,  and  profit  their  people.  The  misbehaviour  of 
such  is  likely  to  make  them  exceeding  hurtful.  By  their  ignorance, 
ambition,  covetousness,  and  other  sins,  they  render  themselves  con- 
temptible in  the  eyes  of  many,  and  by  that  means  render  the  church 
and  all  religion  so  too.  A  scandalous  clergy  will  be  a  scorned  cler- 
gy ;  and  a  scorned  clergy  will  prepare  for  the  scorning  and  destruc- 
tion of  true  religion.  Alas  !  what  wretched  work  have  hypocritical; 
inexperienced,  proud,  worldly,  voluptuous,  ignorant  ministers  been 
making  in  most  christian  nations  these  fourteen  hundred  years  ! — 
Wo  !  wo  !  wo  !  to  the  church  that  hath  such  pastors  !  that  hath  wolves 
instead  of  shepherds  !  Wo  to  the  land  that  hath  such  !  Wo  to  the 
princes  and  states  that  follow  such  counsellors  !  Wo  to  the  souls 
that  are  subverted  by  them  !  Alas  !  from  a  corrupt  clergy  have  sprung 
the  greatest  calamities  of  the  church  in  all  places,  to  this  day  ! 

And  let  it  be  remembered,  the  sins  of  such  men  will  not  prove  less 
mischievous  to  themselves  than  to  others.    Their  guilt  is  aggravated. 


THE   REFORMED  PASTOR.  395 

by  their  perfidious  violation  of  their  baptismal  and  ordination  vows,  as 
well  as  by  their  nearness  to  God  in  their  office ;  and  they  are  '  con- 
demned out  of  their  own  mouths.' — Such  persons  are  with  greater 
difficulty  brought  to  repentance  than  others  :  because  by  wit  and  study 
they  have  bended  that  doctrine  to  defend  their  sin,  which  should  be 
used  to  bring  them  to  repentance  ;  or  because  pride  will  not  suffer 
such  persons  as  they  are,  employed  in  so  holy  an  office,  and  possessed 
of  such  titles,  learning  and  reputation,  to  suppose  themselves  in  an  un- 
holy state  ;  and  whoever  accuses  them  of  sin  or  reproves  them  for  it, 
will  be  represented  as  an  enemy  to  the  church.  Their  ulcers  are  as 
a  unli  me  tansfcre,  and  fret  as  a  gangrene  unremedied.  Their  profa- 
nation of  holy  things  makes  them  worse,  and  more  impenitent  than 
other  men  ;  partly  as  they  have  more  notoriously  forfeited  the  grace 
of  God  which  should  work  repentance  in  them,  and  have  caused  him 
in  righteous  judgement  to  forsake  them  ;  and  partly  as  they  have 
hardened  their  own  hearts,  by  long  abuse  of  that  truth  which  should 
have  sanctified  them  :  for  when  persons  have  long  '  imprisoned  the 
truth  in  unrighteousness,'  and  long  played  (as  hypocrites)  with  what 
they  professed  to  believe,  custom  will  so  harden  them,  that  their 
knowledge  will  have  little  power  on  their  hearts. 

And  now  do  I  need  say  any  more  to  siiew  young  men  designed 
for  the  ministry,  of  what  importance  it  is  that  they  be  well  qualified 
for  it? — God  can,  and  sometisnes  does  turn  wolves  into  faithful  shep- 
herds, and  convert  those,  who  while  they  were  unconverted  them- 
selves, undertook  to  convert  others  ;  but  this  is  not  ordinarily  to  be  ex- 
pected. First  notions  lie  deepest,  and  make  way  for  others  that  are 
connected  with  them.  False  opinions,  as  well  as  true,  are  usually  lin- 
ked together  ;  and  the  chain  is  not  easily  cast  off  or  broken.  Those 
who  have  received  errours,  have  also  received  their  defensatives. 
These  are  like  the  shell-fish,  which  carry  their  house  about  with 
them  :  they  that  have  received  them,  have  studied  what  to  say  for 
them,  but  not  what  can  be  said  again«t  them. — But  supposing  that  you 
have  ever  so  true  notions  in  your  heads,  if  they  come  not  with  power 
upon  your  Hearts,  and  do  not  make  you  new,  spiritual,  and  holy  men, 
they  will  not  qualify  you  to  propagate  faith  and  holiness.  Now  it  is 
that  you  must  get  those  eminent  qualifications  of  knowledge  and  holi- 
ness, which  you  are  afterwards  to  use ;  for  how  can  you  use  what  you 
have  not  1  Though  some  prudent  hearers  will  encourage  such  young 
men  as  they  think  are  hopeful,  yet  most  will  judge  of  persons  and 
things  as  they  find  them.  The  ignorant,  dry,  and  lifeless  orations 
of  inexperienced   preachers,  will  not  be  esteemed   by  such  as  know 


396  TJIE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

what  judgement  and  seriousness  that  sacred  work  requires.  Few 
will  praise,  or  feed  on  unsavoury  food,  merely  to  flatter  and  praise 
the  cook.  Then  when  you  find  yourselves  slighted,  your  resent- 
ment will  rise  against  those  that  slight  you  because  they  are  not 
contented  with  your  unholy  trifling  :  but  all  your  enmity  will  turn 
against  yourselves  ;  and,  like  that  of  Satan  agaijist  the  members  of 
Christ,  will  be  but  self-tormenting. 

Let  me  then  seriously  caution  all  persons  against  being  too  hasty 
in  resolving  for  the  sacred  ministry.  1  would  not  discourage  pious, 
prudent  desires  and  purposes  :  but  I  must  say,  that  many  parents,  in 
this  respect,  prove  greatly  injurious  to  the  church.  I  do  not  mean 
only  worldly  men,  who  look  upon  the  ministry  merely  as  a  trade  to 
live  by,  and  send  their  sons  to  the  university  in  order  to  their  world- 
ly maintenance  and  preferment ;  but  even  honest,  godly  parents, who  ig- 
norantly  think  it  a  good  work  to  design  their  children  for  the  ministry, 
and  call  it  "  devoting  them  to  God,"  without  duly  considering  whether 
they  are  likely  to  be  fit  for  it  or  not. — When  the  children  of  such  per- 
sons have  been  some  years  at  the  university,  they  think  a  living  is 
their  due  ;  ordained  they  must  be  ;  what  else  have  they  studied  for  ? 
It  is  now  too  late  to  change  their  purpose,  when  they  have  been  at  so 
many  years  cost  and  labour  to  prepare  for  the  ministry.  They  are  too 
old,  or  too  proud,  or  too  idle,  to  go  to  any  manual  labour,  and  have 
not  time,  or  opportunity  to  prepare  for  any  other  learned  profession  :  so 
that  there  is  no  way  left,  but  for  a  benefice,  to  become  church-mount- 
ebanks, or  spiritual  quacks,  and  undertake  the  pastoral  charge  of  souls  ; 
though  they  scarcely  know  what  souls  are,  for  what  they  were  made, 
or  whither  they  are  going  ;  at  least,  how  they  must  be  conducted  and 
prepared  for  their  endless  state.  And  bad  as  they  are,  they  can  find 
persons  bad  enough  to  recommend  and  ordain  them. — How  deplorable 
is  the  case  of  the  poor  people's  souls  over  whom  they  are  to  preside ! 

In  order  to  prevent  any  from  intending  the  work  of  the  ministry 
who  are  not  qualified,  I  will  briefly  mention  the  necessary  qualifica- 
tions for  it. — The  work  is  so  high,  and  miscarrying  in  it  is  of  such 
dreadful  consoqurnce,  that  no  one  should  be  resolvedly  devoted  to  the 
ministry,  who  hath  not  the  following  endowments. 

1.  A  good  natural  capacity:  it  should  be  somewhat  above  the 
ordinary  degree.  Grace  supposes  nature  ;  and  by  sanctifying  it,  turns 
it  the  right  way  ;  but  does  not  use  to  make  wise  teachers  of  natural 
drones,  or  weak-headed  lads,  wlio  have  not  sense  enough  to  learn. 

2.  A  competent  readiness  of  speech.  One  who  cannot  readily 
speak  his  mind  in  common  things,  is  not  likely  to  have  that  fluent  de- 
livery which  is  necessary  to  a  preachen 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  397 

3.  One  that  is  fit  to  be  devoted  to  the  ministry,  must  be  hopeful 
for  godliness.  He  must  be  captivated  by  no  gross  sin.  He  must  not 
only  have  a  love  to  learning,  but  religion ;  to  the  word  of  God,  and 
good  company  ;  to  prayer  and  good  books.  He  must  shew  some 
sense  about  the  concerns  of  his  soul,  and  regard  for  the  life  to  come  ; 
that  his  conscience  is  under  some  effectual  convictions  of  the  evil  of 
sin,  and  the  excellence  and  necessity  of  a  godly  life. — The  youth  that 
hath  not  these  qualifications,  should  not  be  devoted  to  the  ministry. 
To  devote  an  incapable,  ungodly  person  to  such  a  holy  work,  is 
worse  than  of  old  to  have  offered  God  the  unclean  for  sacrifice.  To 
do  it  under  pretence  of  hoping  that  he  may  have  grace  hereafter,  is 
a  presumptuous  profanation,  and  worse  than  to  design  a  coward  to  be 
a  soldier,  or  a  wicked,  unsuitable  person  for  a  partner  in  life,  in  hope 
that  they  may  be  become  fit  afterwards. — If  therefore  your  parents 
have  been  so  unwise  as  to  dedicate  that  to  God,  which  was  unfit  for 
his  acceptance,  it  concerns  you  quickly  to  look  better  to  yourselves, 
and  not  to  run  into  the  "  consuming  fire."  You  ought  to  be  con- 
scious of  your  own  condition.  If  you  know  that  you  want  either  na- 
tural capacity,  or  readiness  of  speech,  or  serious  piety  and  heart-de- 
votedness  to  God,  do  not  meddle  with  that  calling  which  requires  all 
these. 

Perhaps  you  will  say,  "  What  shall  we  do  with  ourselves  ?  We 
have  gone  so  far,  that  we  are  fit  for  nothing  else."  I  answer,  you  are 
less  fit  for  the  ministry  than  for  any  thing.  That  which  requires  the 
highest  qualifications,  will  most  shame  and  condemn  you,  if  you  want 
them.  If  you  are  not  fit  for  Physic  or  Law,  seek  for  something  else. 
You  had  better  become  Servants,  or  turn  to  the  basest  employments, 
than  to  run  into  the  sad  case  of  Hophni  and  Phineas  ;  or  of  Nadab 
and  Abihu  ;  to  the  utter  undoing  of  yourselves,  and  to  the  loss  and 
danger  of  many  others. — But  remember,  if  your  unfitness  be  your  Un- 
godliness, whether  you  are  ministers  or  not,  you  will  be  forever 
miserable,  unless  your  hearts  and  lives  be  changed.  When  that  is 
done,  I  would  not  discourage  you  :  but  (believe  me)  it  is  far  better  to 
be  a  cobbler  or  a  chimney-sweeper,  or  to  beg  your  bread,  than  to  be 
an  ungodly  minister,  though  with  the  greatest  preferments,  riches, 
and  applause. 

Perhaps  parents  will  say,  "  If  we  devote  none  to  the  ministry  till 
godliness  appears  in  them,  few  will  be  so  devoted,  since  children  sel- 
dom discover  much  savour  of  religion  ;  and  some  turn  out  bad,  who 
when  young,  promised  exceeding  well."  I  answer.  Children  cannot 
be  expected  to  shew  that  understanding  in  religion  which  men  may  ; 


398  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

but  if  they  discover  not  a  love  to  it,  a  conscientious  regard  to  God's 
authority,  and  the  life  to  come,  and  a  dislike  of  ungodliness  and  sin, 
you  have  no  reason  to  presume  they  will  be  fit  for  the  ministry.  You 
can  judge  but  upon  probabilities ;  if  they  prove  bad  after  a  hopeful 
profession,  it  will  not  be  chargeable  upon  you.  But  we  all  know  that 
a  hopeful  youth  is  a  great  preparation  to  an  honest  age. 

Let  me  now  drop  a  few  hints  of  advice  to  such  young  men,  as 
have  ground  to  hope  they  are  qualified  for  the  sacred  ofl[ice. 

I.  Be  careful  [as  far  as  it  depends  upon  yourselves]  in  the  choice 
of  your  Tutors. 

Choose  not  a  teacher  who  prefers  human  wisdom  to  divine,  or  who 
is  of  a  worldly,  ambitious  mind,  or  who  is  factious  and  uncharitable, 
or  violent  for  any  party ;  but  one  that  bears  a  good  report  among  the 
sober  and  impartial,  as  a  person  of  a  christian,  catholic  charity  ;  who 
loves  good  men  ;  who  is  willing  to  do  good  to  all,  and  is  desirous  of 
maintaining  unity  and  peace  :  one  that  will  make  it  his  business  to 
explain  the  Scripture,  to  teach  you  the  will  of  God,  and  how  you  may 
please  him  and  be  saved. 

II.  Abhor  sloth  and  idleness. 

When  you  are  at  common  schools,  your  master  drives  you  on  by 
fear,  but  when  you  are  in  a  university,  and  are  at  riper  age,  you  are 
trusted  more  with  yourselves  ;  so  that  if  you  will  not  be  carried  on 
with  constant  pleasure  and  the  love  of  knowledge,  the  flesh  will  pre- 
fer its  ease,  and  yon  will  proceed  so  slowly  as  to  arrive  at  no  high  de- 
gree of  learning.  Then  when  you  have  gone  through  your  studies, 
and  are  called  out  to  the  use  of  your  knowledge,  your  emptiness  and 
ignorance  will  soon  appear.  It  is  not  your  canonical  habit,  nor  sev- 
en, nor  seventeen  years  spent  in  the  University,  nor  the  title  of  Mas- 
ter of  Arts,  or  Doctor  in  Divinity,  or  Bishop,  which  will  pass  with 
men  of  sense,  for  knowledge,  diligence,  humility,  patience,  and  chari- 
ty ;  nor  that  (without  these)  will  do  the  work  to  which  you  are  devot- 
ed. Believe  it,  the  high  and  necessary  accomplishments  of  a  true  di- 
vine, are  not  easily  or  speedily  attained. 

III.  Fear  and  fly  from  sensuality  and  fleshly  lusts. 

While  your  bodies  are  not  fatigued  with  labours,  nor  your  thoughts 
taken  up  with  wants  and  cares ;  while  you  are  entirely  at  ease,  and 
your  studies  are  arbitrary,  fleshly  appetites  have  time  and  opportunity 
to  solicit  your  fancies,  to  incline  you  to  interrupt  your  business  and 
think  about  matters  of  sensual  delight :  either  with  what  to  please  the 
palate  in  eating  or  drinking,  or  needless  and  hurtful  recreations,  or 
to  read  romances,  play-books,  and  other  corrupting  vanities.     Let  me 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  399 

add,  idle  scholars  are  far  more  strongly  haunted,  than  poor,  labouring, 
and  afflicted  persons  are,  with  temptations  to  ...  .  filthy  lusts.  And 
if  these  should  prevail,  alas  !  you  are  undone  !  They  will  offend  God, 
dispel  his  grace,  wound  and  scare  you  consciences,  destroy  all  spirit- 
ual affections  and  delights,  and  turn  down  your  hearts  from  heaven 
and  holiness  to  filth  and  folly.  Beasts  will  not  be  fit  for  the  pleasures 
or  the  work  of  saints.  Away  therefore  fVom  idleness.  Pamper  not 
the  flesh  with  fulness  or  delights.  Abhor  all  time-wasting,  needless 
recreations.  Away  especially  from  the  baits  of  fleshly  lust.  Be  no 
more  indifferent  or  unresolved  herein,  than  you  would  be  about  drink- 
ing poison,  or  wilfully  going  among  thieves  and  murderers.  Presume 
not  on  your  own  strength  ;  he  is  safest  that  is  furthest  from  danger. 
Gun-powder  must  not  stand  near  the  fire. 

IV.  Make  a  prudent  choice  of  your  companions  ;  especially  your 
bosom-friends. 

Love  and  familiarity  vvill  give  them  great  advantage  over  you. 
If  they  are  wise,  they  will  teach  you  wisdom.  If  they  are  holy  and 
spiritual,  they  vvill  be  drawing  you  towards  God,  and  settling  your 
aversion  from  sin  and  love  to  holiness.  But  if  they  are  worldly  and 
ambitious,  they  will  be  filling  your  heads  with  ambitious  and  worldly 
projects.  If  they  are  ungodly  hypocrites,  having  only  the  name  of 
christians,  they  will  be  opposing  or  deriding  serious  godliness;  and 
will  plead  for  the  formalities  of  religion  as  better  than  spiritual  devo- 
tion. If  they  be  hardened  sinners,  they  will  try  to  make  you  such, 
by  revilings,  or  plausible  cavils  against  the  things  and  persons  that 
are  contrary  to  their  carnal  inclinations  and  interests :  and  by  endea- 
Touring  to  possess  your  minds  with  false  opinions  of  God's  people. 
Ill  company  is  a  dangerous  snare :  but  wise  and  religious  companions 
are  great  blessings :  and  though  the  merciful  providence  of  God  does 
usually  choose  them  for  us,  it  is  only  so  as  that  we  must  be  faithful 
choosers  for  ourselves. 

V.  Watch  with  great  fear  against  ambition  and  worldly  ends. 
The  roots  of  these  mortal  sins  are  bred  in  us,  and  lie  very  deep. 

They  often  live,  and  even  reign,  where  they  are  little  suspected  :  but 
wo  to  him  that  is  conquered  by  them.  '  Ye  cannot  serve  God  and 
Mammon.  The  love  of  the  world  is  enmity  against  God.' — How 
many,  having  escaped  the  temptations  of  sloth  and  sensuality,  have 
been  overcome  by  this  I  Alas  !  how  does  this  stream  carry  down  the 
most  pregnant  wits,  into  the  gulf  of  perdition  !  Yea,  some  who  seem- 
ed very  humble  and  mortified,  while  they  had  no  great  temptation, 
when  wealth  and  honour  have  been  set  before  them,   have  lost  their 


400  V     THE  REFORMED  PASTOR, 

virtue  before  they  were  aware.  Worldly  interest  has  so  biassed  their 
understandings,  that  they  have  taken  truth  for  errour,  and  erroiir  for 
truth  ;  duty  for  sin,  and  sin  for  duty. — If  you  be  the  servants  of  the 
flesh  and  the  world,  wo  be  to  you  when  your  masters  turn  you  off, 
and  you  receive  your  wages  ! 

VI.  Another  earnest  warning  which  I  must  give  you,  and  all 
young  men,  is  to  guard  against  an  unhumbled  understanding,  rashly 
confident  of  its  own  apprehensions. 

This  is  the  offspring  of  ignorance  and  pride,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  common  and  pernicious  maladies  of  mankind.  Among  a  multi- 
tude of  persons  that  differ  from  each  other,  how  few  are  not  obstinate- 
ly confident  that  they  are  in  the  right!  even  youths  of  twenty  years 
of  age.  Oh  dread  this  vice,  and  suspect  your  own  understandings. 
Be  humble  ;  take  time  ;  try  and  hear  before  you  judge.  Labour  for 
knowledge ;  but  take  not  upon  you  to  be  sure  where  you  are  not ; 
doubt  and  try  till  you  are.  Thoroughly  study  the  nature  and  eviden- 
ces of  the  christian  faith  and  doctrine.  Do  not  hasten  too  soon  or 
too  confidently  over  these  hard  controversies,  as  if  your  judgement  of 
them  at  maturity  would  certainly  have  no  change  ;  but  still  suppose 
that  greater  light,  by  longer  study,  may  cause  you  to  alter  your  opin- 
ions about  such  matters  of  difficulty. 

VII.  With  regard  to  your  studies,  let  me  exhort  you  to  begin 

with  PRACTICAL  DIVINITY. 

First  settle  your  souls  in  a  safe  condition  for  life  and  death,  and 
take  God  and  heaven  for  your  hope  and  all.  If  you  do  not  so,  you 
are  not  christians  indeed.  But  if  you  be  here  fixed  by  the  grace  of 
God,  you  will  know  what  to  choose  and  what  to  do.  It  will  teach  you 
to  refer  all  worldly  things  to  spiritual  and  heavenly  ends,  and  to  "  count 
all  things  but  loss  for  Christ,"  and  for  that  "  one  thing  needful,  which 
shall  never  be  taken  from  you."  This  will  save  you  from  the  greatest 
evils,  and  give  your  minds  continual  peace  ;  even  that  "  peace  of  God 
which  passes  all  understanding." — Deal  not  so  foolishly  as  to  waste 
many  years  in  inferiour  arts  and  sciences,  before  you  have  studied 
how  to  please  God  and  be  saved,  I  unfeignedly  thank  God,  that  by 
sickness  and  his  grace,  he  taught  me  early  how  to  die  ;  and  by  that 
means,  how  to  live  :  that  he  inclined  me  to  study  the  holy  scriptures, 
and  many  practical,  spiritual,  English  books,  till  I  had  somewhat 
settled  the  resolution  and  peace  of  my  own  soul,  before  I  had  gone 
far  in  human  learning.  I  then  found  more  leisure  and  capacity  to 
take  in  subservient  knowledge  in  its  proper  time  and  place.  Indeed, 
I  had  lost  most  of  my  studies  of  philosophy,  and  controversial  divinity. 


THE  REFORMED  PASTOR.  401 

if  I  had  fallen  on  them  too  young  ;  or  else  should  have  formed  very 
crude  notions  about  those  things,  which  require  a  riper  judgement  — 
Read  such  books  as  contain  the  essential  principles  of  religion,  and 
treat  of  them  in  the  most  plain,  affectionate,  and  practical  manner; 
tending  to  deep  impression,  renovation  of  the  soul,  and  spiritual  ex- 
perience ;  without  which  you  will  want  the  essential  qualifications  for 
your  future  work.  The  art  of  theology,  without  the  power,  consisting 
of  holy  life,  light,  and  love,  is  the  very  constitution  of  the  hypocrite. 
Oh  that  all  our  students  for  the  christian  ministry  would  think  of 
these  things  !  What  a  poor  business  is  it  to  spend  their  time  in 
knowing  a  little  of  the  works  of  God,  and  some  of  those  names  that 
the  divided  tongues  of  the  nations  have  imposed  on  them,  and  not 
know  the  Lord  himself,  nor  exalt  him  in  their  hearts,  nor  be  ac- 
quainted with  that  one  renewing  work  which  would  make  them  hap- 
py !  They  do  but  "  walk  in  a  vain  shew,"  and  spend  their  lives  like 
dreaming  men,  while  they  so  busy  their  wits  and  tongues  about  an 
abundance  of  names  and  notions,  and  are  strangers  to  God  and  the 
life  of  saints.  This  they  will  acknowledge,  if  ever  God  awaken  them 
by  saving  grace.  They  make  themselves  a  world  of  business  about 
nothing,  while  they  are  wilful  strangers  to  the  primitive,  independent, 
necessary  Being,  who  is  "  all  and  in  all."  Nothing  can  be  rightly 
known,  if  God  be  not  known  ;  nor  is  any  study  managed  to  any  great 
purpose,  while  God  is  not  studied.  We  know  little  of  the  creature, 
till  we  know  it  as  it  respects  its  Creator.  Sintjle  letters  and  syllables 
uncomposed  are  nonsense.  Such  broken  syllables  are  all  creatures  : 
as  separated  from  God  they  signify  nothing.  He  that  overlooks  the 
"  Alpha  and  Omega,"  and  sees  not  him  in  all,  sees  nothing  at  all. 
It  is  one  thing  to  know  the  creatures  as  Aristotle,  and  another  to 
know  them  as  a  Christian.  To  see  God  in  his  works,  and  to  love 
and  converse  with  him,  was  the  employment  of  man  in  his  stale  of  in- 
nocence ;  and  this  is  so  far  from  ceasing  to  be  our  duty  now,  that  it 
was  the  work  of  Christ  to  bring  us  back  to  it.  The  most  holy  men 
are  the  most  excellent  students  of  God's  works  ;  nay,  none  but  the 
holy  can  rightly  know  or  study  them.  "  His  works  are  great,  and 
sought  out  of  all  such  persons,  who  have  pleasure  therein  :"  (Psalm 
cxi.  2.)  not  for  themselves,  but  for  him  that  made  them.  To  see  and 
admire,  to  reverence  and  adore,  to  love  and  delight  in  God  as  appear- 
ing to  us  in  his  works,  and  purposely  to  peruse  them  for  these  ends  ; 
this  is  the  true  and  only  philosophy,  this  is  the  right  sanctification  of 
your  studies.  Theology  (when  you  are  sufficiently  acquainted  with 
words  and  things,  to  understand  the  principles  of  it)   must  lay  the 


402  THE  REFORMED  PASTOR. 

foundation  of  all  your  studies,  and  must  lead  the  way  in  them  all. — 
Once  more, 

'Vlll.  Let  me  advise  you  not  to  begin  the  exercise  of  your  minis- 
try too  boldly,  in  larg^e  or  judicious  auditories. 

Overmuch  confidence  indicates  pride,  ignorance  of  your  imperfec- 
tions, of  the  greatness  of  your  work,  and  the  dreadful  majesty  of  God. 
Settle  at  first  (if  you  can)  a  competent  time  in  the  house  of  some  an- 
cient, experienced  pastor,  who  has  a  small  chapel  in  the  country,  and 
wants  assistance.  There  you  may  learn  as  well  as  teach  ;  and  learn, 
by  his  practice,  what  you  must  practise  :  and  by  preaching  a  few- 
years  to  a  small,  ignorant  people,  where  you  need  not  fear  critical 
judgements,  you  will  acquire  boldness  of  speech,  and  freedom  of  ut- 
terance, without  that  servile  study  of  words,  and  committing  your 
notes  to  memory,  which  will  be  tiresome,  time-wasting,  and  lifeless. 
Thus  you  will  be  better  prepared  for  more  public  places  (if  you  should 
be  called  to  them)  than  you  are  ever  likely  to  be  by  continuing  among 
scholars  in  the  university,  or  by  serving  as  chaplains  in  great  men's 
hou«es. 

[Having  said  thus  much  to  Students  for  the  ministry,  especially 
on  the  importance  of  making  practical  divinity  the  principal  subject 
of  their  studies,  it  will  be  natural  here  to  suggest  a  hint  to  Tutors 
who  have  the  direction  of  them.]  And  I  do  in  zeal  for  the  good  of 
the  church,  and  their  own  success  in  their  most  necessary  labours, 
propose  it  to  the  consideration  of  all  pious  Tutors,  whether  they 
should  not  as  early  and  as  diligently  read  to  their  pupils,  or  cause 
them  to  read,  the  principal  parts  of  practical  divinity,  as  any  of  the 
sciences?  And  whether  they  should  not  go  together  from  the  very 
first  ?  It  is  well  that  they  hear  sermons  ;  but  that  is  not  enough.  If 
they  have  need  of  private  help  in  Philosophy,  besides  public  lectures, 
much  more  in  Theology.  I  must  presume  to  tell  you  (pardon  the 
censure  from  one  so  unfit  for  it,  considering  the  necessity  of  the  case) 
that  it  is  a  grand  errour,  and  of  dangerous  consequence,  in  our  chris- 
tian Academics,  that  young  men  study  the  creature  before  the  Re- 
deemer, and  set  themselves  to  Metaphysics  and  Mathematics  before 
Theology ;  since  no  one  who  has  not  the  vitals  of  Theology,  is  capa- 
ble of  going  beyond  a  fool  in  Philosophy  ;  and  all  that  such  persons 
do,  is  but  "doting  about  questions  and  oppositions  of  science,  falsely  so 
called."  (I  Tim.  vi.  20,  21.)  If  Tutors  would  make  it  their  princi- 
pal business  to  acquaint  their  pupils  with  the  doctrine  of  life,  and  la- 
bour to  set  it  home  upon  their  hearts  ;  and  so  conduct  the  rest  of  their 
instructions,  that  it  may  appear  they  are  intended  only  as  subservient 


THE   REFORMED  PASTOR.  403 

to  this,  it  might  be  the  means  of  great  happiness  to  the  souls  of  men, 
the  church  of  Christ,  and  the  common  weal.  But  u  hen  languages 
and  philosophy  ingross  almost  all  their  time  and  thought,  and  instead 
of  reading  philosophy  like  divines,  they  read  divinity  like  philoso- 
phers, this  it  is  that  blasts  so  many  in  the  bud,  and  pesters  the  church 
with  unsanctified  teachers.  Hence  it  is  that  we  have  so  many  world- 
lings to  preach  the  invisible  felicity,  and  so  many  carnal  men  to  de- 
clare the  mysteries  of  the  spirit :  I  wish  I  might  not  add, — and  so 
many  Infidels  to  preach  Christ,  or  so  many  Atheists  to  preach  the  liv- 
ing God. 

Let  tutors  then  begin  and  end  with  the  things  of  God,  reading 
God  to  their  pupils  in  every  thing.  Let  them  speak  daily  to  their 
hearts,  about  those  things  which  must  be  wrought  in  their  hearts,  or 
they  are  undone.  You  are  preparing  thesn  for  the  special  service  of 
God  ;  and  must  they  not  first  have  the  saving  knowledge  of  him  whom 
they  are  to  serve  1  Oh  !  think  with  yourselves  what  a  dreadful  thing 
it  will  be  to  their  own  souls,  and  what  a  mischief  to  the  church  of 
God,  if  they  come  out  from  you  with  carnal  hearts,  to  so  spiritual  and 
so  great  a  work  !  If  you  should  send  but  one  half  of  them  forth  on  a 
business  for  which  they  are  unfit,  what  grievous  work  will  they  make 
in  the  church  and  in  the  world  !  Whereas,  if  you  are  the  means  of 
their  true  conversion,  not  only  they  themselves,  but  many  souls  to 
whom  they  shall  preach,  will  have  occasion  to  bless  you,  and  to  bless 
God  for  your  zeal  and  diligence  ;  yea  perhaps,  for  one  seasonable 
word.  When  once  their  hearts  are  suitably  affected  with  the  doctrine 
which  they  study  and  preach,  they  will  both  study  and  preach  it  more 
heartily,  than  could  otherwise  be  expected.  Their  own  experience 
will  direct  them  to  the  fittest  subjects;  will  furnish  them  with  the 
best  matter  :  and  will  quicken  them  to  set  it  home.  And  let  me  ob- 
serve, that  the  best  of  our  hearers  will  feel  and  favour  such  experi- 
mental preachers ;  who  usually  less  regard  others,  whatever  may  be 
their  other  accomplishments. 


A  LIST  OF  BOOKS,* 

TO  AID 

YOUNG  PREACHERS  IN  THE  SELECTION  OF  A  LIBRARY. 

-»♦•©•♦<• 

To  any  one  who  is  acquainted  with  books,  it  will  be  evident  that 
the  following  list  is  not  designed  to  be  taken  as  a  guide,  in  the  selec- 
tion of  an  extensive  library.  It  would  require  a  volume  to  mention 
even  the  titles  of  those  books,  which  might  be  recommended  as  desi- 
rable for  a  preacher  to  possess.  All  that  is  intended  here,  is  to  enu- 
merate so  many  of  the  most  valuable  works  as  to  assist  theological 
students,  of  limited  means,  in  their  early  selections.  They  whose  re- 
sources will  admit  of  expensive  purchases,  will  of  course  resort  to 
such  catalogues  and  bibliothecas,  as  contain  ample  information  to  di- 
rect their  choice. 

The  price  of  books  depends  so  much  on  the  quality  of  the  edition 
and  the  circumstances  of  the  purchase,  that  it  is  omitted  in  the  fol- 
lowing list. 

*  Individuals  among:  the  Theological  Students  of  the  Seminary  at  Ando- 
ver,  have  often  requested  advice,  as  to  the  amount  of  books  proper  to  be  pur- 
chased by  young  men  in  their  circumstances.  As  what  is  expedient  in  any 
given  case  depends  much  on  the  pecuniary  ability  of  the  individual,  it  is  im- 
possible to  establish  any  positive  rule,  that  will  be  equally  applicable  to  all. 
Some  doubtless  carry  caution  to  an  extreme.  A  greater  number  indiscreetly 
contract  obligations,  to  fulfil  which  must  be  very  embarrassing  to  themselves, 
and  to  fail  in  their  fulfilment,  very  inconvenient  to  others.  The  Faculty  of  the 
Seminary  have  long  had  a  settled  opinion,  on  the  general  principle,  that  it  is 
inconsistent  with  prudence  and  good  faith  for  a  Theological  Student  to  con- 
tract debts  for  any  thing,  not  absolutely  necessary  to  his  immediate  improve- 
ment, or  personal  comfort,  without  a  decided  probability  of  being  able  to  pay 
such  debts  during  the  time  of  his  expected  residence  here. 

The  above  principle,  as  it  respects  the  purchase  of  books,  was  expressed 
by  a  vote  of  the  Faculty  in  1826  ;  and  as  it  may  be  desirable  to  students  in 
straitened  circumstances  to  know  the  views  of  their  Instructers  on  this  subject, 

this  vote  is  inserted  here. "  Resolved,  that  in  the  judgment  of  this  Faculty, 

no  member  of  this  Seminary  ought  to  contract  debts  for  any  other  books  than 
merely  those  which  are  necessary  for  his  classical  use  while  here  ;  except  in 
those  cases  where  he  has  a  confident  expectation  of  being  able  to  pay  for  the 
books  which  he  purchases,  before  or  ichen  his  course  of  study  here  is  to  be  fin- 
ished,'" 


406  LIST  or  BOOKS. 

Hebrew  Bible,  of  Michaelis ;  or  Simonis  (new  edition  by  Rosen- 
mueller),  or  Jalin,  or  Van  der  Hooght. 

Heb.  Lexicon,  of  Siraonis  by  Eichhorn,  or  Simonis  by  Winer,  (new,) 
or  Gesenius  3d  edit.  Heb.  German,  and  4th  edit.  Heb.  Latin,  (in 
the  press.) 

Gibbs's  Manual  Heb.  Lexicon. 

Schleusner's  Lex.  N.  Test;  2  vols.  8vo. 

Robinson's  Lex.  N.  Test,  from  the  Latin  of  Wahl. 

Poli  Synopsis  Criticorum,  5  vols,  folio. 

Campbell  on  the  Gospels,  4  vols.  8vo. 

Lowth's  Lectures  on  Heb.  Poetry,  8vo.  (new  edition  with  many  addi- 
tions by  C.  E.  Stowe  ;  in  the  press.) 

Lowth's  Translation  of  Isaiah,  8vo. 

Cruden's  Concordance  4to. 

Concordautise  Graecaj  Schmidii,  2  vols.  8vo. 

Scott's  Commentary,  .>  vols.  4to.  or  6  vols.  8vo. 

Doddridge's  Expositor,  6  vols.  8vo.  or  1  vol.  4to.  Lond.  edition. 

Henry's  (Matthew)  Commentary,  for  practical  purposes  containing 
much  that  is  useful  to  a  preacher. 

Macknight  on  the  Epistles,  6  vols.  8vo. 

Patrick,  Lowth,  and  Whitby  united,  on  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, 6  vols,  folio. 

Rosenmueller  in  Nov.  Test.  5  vols.  8vo.  recommended  so  far  as  phi- 
lology is  concerned. 

Rosenmueller  in  Vet.  Test.  18  vols.  Svo.  recommended  only  so  far  as 
philology  is  concerned. 

Wolfii  Curae  Criticse  in  Nov.  Test.  5  vols.  4to. 

Mori  Hermeneutica  Nov.  Test.  2  vols.  Svo. 

Marsh's  Michaelis,  Introd.  to  New  Testament,  Svo. 

Ernesti,  Principles  of  Interpretation. 

Newcome's  Greek  Harmony  of  the  Evangelists,  Svo. 

Kuinoel,  Com.  in  Evangel,  et  Act.  4  vols.  Svo. 

Paley's  Evidences  of  Christianity,  12mo. 

Horse  Paulinse,  Svo. 

Campbell  on  Miracles,  12mo. 

Leland's  Advantage  and  Necessity  of  revelation,  2  vols.  Svo. 

View  of  Deistical  writers,  2  vols.  Svo. 

Leslie's  Short  Method,  Svo. 
Appleton's  Lectures,  Svo. 
Chalmers'  Evidences,  Svo. 
Berkeley's  Minute  Philosopher,  Svo. 
Butler's  Analogy,  Svo. 


LIST  OF  BOOKS.  407 

Douglass'  Criterion,  8vo. 

Paley's  Nat.  Theology,  12mo. 

Turrettini  Institutio  Theologiae  Elencticae,  3  vols.  4to. 

Van  Mastricht's  Theology. 

Calvin's  Institutes,  translated  by  Allen,  3  vols.  8vo. 

Edward's  Works,  8  vols.  Svo. 

Edward's  Jun.  on  Liberty  and  Necessity,  8vo. 
Against  Chauncey,  Svo. 

Hopkins'  System,  2  vols.  8vo. 

Dwight's  Theology,  5  vols.  Svo. 

Ridgeley's  Body  of  Divinity,  with  notes  by  Wilson,  4  vols.  Svo. 

Magee  on  Atonement,  Svo. 

Knapp's  Theology,  2  vols.  Svo. 

Storr's  Biblical  Theology,  2  vols.  Svo. 

Bellamy's  Works,  3  vols.  Svo. 

Fuller's  Works,  8  vols.  Svo. 

Witsius  on  the  Covenants,  3  vols.  Svo. 

Wardlaw  on  the  Socinian  Controversy. 

Watts's  Works,  7  vols.  Svo. 

Witherspoon's  AVorks,  4  vols.  Svo. 

Johnson's  Dictionary,  improved  by  Todd,  and  abridged  by  Chalmers, 
with  Walker's  orthoepy  and  Key — Edited  by  J.  E.  Worcester.  The 
most  accurate  and  comprehensive  manual  Dictionary  of  the  Eng. 
language,  that  has  been  published. 

Crabbe's  English  Synonymes,  Svo. 

Campbell's  Philos.  of  Rhetoric,  2  vols.  Svo.  or  Amer.  edit.  Svo. 

Foster's  Essays,  12mo. 

Campbell's  Lectures  on  Syst.  Theol.  and  Pulpit  Eloquence,  Svo. 

Young  Minister's  Companion,  Svo. 

Young  Preacher's  Manual,  Svo. 

Campbell's  Lectures  on  the  Pastoral  Office,  Svo. 

Smith's  Lectures  on  the  Sacred  Office,  Svo. 

Massillon's  Charges,  Svo. 

Miller's  Letters  on  Clerical  Manners,  12mo. 

Mosheim's  Eccles  Hist.  6  vols.  Svo. 

Milner's  Hist,  of  the  Church,  5  vols.  12mo. 

Jahn's  Archaeology,  Svo.  2d  edit. 

Jahn's  Heb.  Commonwealth,  Svo.  translated  by  C.  E.  Stowe, 

Emmons's  Sermons,  6  vols.  Svo. 

Smalley's  Sermons,  2  vols  Svo. 

Griffin's  Park  Street  Lectures,  Svo. 


408  LIST  OF  BOOKS. 

Bates's  Works,  2  vols.  fol.  or  4  vols.  8vo. 

Gisborne's  Sermons,  3  vols.  8vo. 

Bradley's  Sermons,  8vo. 

Burder's  Village  Sermons,  3  vols.  12mo. 

Davies's  Sermons,  5  vols.  Svo.  or  5  vols.  12mo. 

Chalmers'  Works,  3  vols.  12mo. 

Walker's  (Robert)  Sermons,  4  vols.  Svo. 

Jay's  first  vol. Cecil's  Works,  3  vols.  12mo. 

Payson's  Sermons,  Svo. 

Devotional  and  Experimental  Works — or  Spiritual  Classics. 

Owen  on  the  130th  Psalm, — on  Indwelling  Sin,  and  on  Spiritual 
Mindedness. 

Flavel's  Works,  2  vols.  fol. 

John  Newton's  Works,  6  vols.  Svo. 

Baxter's  Practical  Works,  4  vols.  fol.  especially  Saints'  Rest,  and  Re- 
formed Pastor. 

Law's  Serious  Call,  12mo. 
Wilberforce's  Practical  View,  12mo. 
Thomas  a  Kempis,  Svo. 

Taylor's  Holy  Living,  12mo. and  Dying,  12mo. 

Pike's  Cases  of  Conscience,  12mo. 
Haweis'  Spiritual  Companion. 
Boston's  Fourfold  State,  12mo. 
Henry's  Communicant,  12mo. 
Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress,  l2mo. 
Scougal's  Life  of  God  in  the  soul  of  man. 
Leighton's  Works. 

To  this  class  of  books  may  be  added  a  few  Christian  Biographies  : 
such  as,  the  Life  of  Brainard,  Buchanan,  Samuel  Pearce,  Fuller,  Mar- 
tyn,  Fisk,  Parsons,  Whitefield,  Mills,  Thomas  Scott,  Waterman's  Life 
of  Calvin,  and  Bower's  Life  of  Luther.  All  these  are  single  vols,  and 
all  but  three  12mo. 

Among  the  standard  English  works  that  might  be  useful  to  the 
young  preacher  in  forming  his  style,  may  be  reckoned, 
Alison  on  Taste,  Svo. Ames's  Works,  Svo. 

Spectator,  with  preface,    historical   and  biographical,  by  Chalmers. 

10  vols.  12mo. 
Johnson's  Rambler,  3  vols.  12mo. 
Beattie's  Works,  10  vols.  12mo. 
Fitzosborne's  Letters,  12mo. 
Milton's  Paradise  Lost,  &c.  2  vols.  ]2mo. 


LIST  OF  BOOKS.  409 

Young's  Night  Thoughts,  12mo. 
Cowper's  Poems  and  Letters. 
Pope's  Poetical  Works,  2  vols.  12mo. 
Gray,  Goldsmith,  and  Akenside's  Do. 

A  few  general  books  of  reference,  are  almost  indispensable  in  the 
library  of  a  preacher,  as  they  often  furnish  him  with  important  infor- 
mation when  he  most  needs  it,   and  with  a  small  expense  of  time. 
Among  these  may  be  mentioned, 
Lempriere's  Biographical  Dictionary,  2  vols.  8vo. 

Classical  Dictionary,  8vo. 

Calmet's  Dictionary  of  the  Holy  Bible,  4  vols.  4to. 

Harmer's  Observations,  4  vols.  8vo. 

Wells's  Geography,  2  vols.  8vo. 

Burder's  Oriental  Customs,  2  vols.  8vo. 

H.  Adams's  View  of  Religions,  8vo. 

Gaston's  Collections,  8vo. 

Westmmster  Confession  of  Faith,  12mo. 

Buck's  Theol.  Dictionary,  8vo. 

Pickering's  Vocabulary  of  Americanisms,  8vo. 

Worcester's  General  Gazetteer,  2  vols.  8vo. 

Plutarch's  Lives,  Translated  by  Langhorne,  4  vols.  8vo. 


52 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Action.,  its  design     ....    52, 260 

,  its  importance       .     .     .     270 

,  rules  for 271 

,  should  always  be  grave        54 

,  should  not  be  too  uniform  53, 

55 
,  not  to  represent  words,  but 
thoughts     ....  260,  272 

,  among  the  ancients        51,  54 

,  the  French  and  Italians      271 

,  of  English  preachers  in  the 

time  of  Addison     ...       52 

,  of  Garrick        ....     259 

Advice.,  to  students  for  the  ministry  398 
-402 
,  to  theological  tutors       .     402 
Afftctalion.,  of  peculiarity      .     .       75 

,  its  effect  upon  style  .     .       77 

Ambrose.,  St 106 

Antithesis.,    artificial,     should    be 

avoided        75 

Applause.,  love  of,  in  a  preacher       46 
.^m/o/Ze,  character  of  his  Rhetoric   17 

Austin,  St 104,  115 

,  his  rules  of  effectual  elo- 
quence     105 

■ ,  success  of  his  preaching     106, 

115 
.,4re  JJ/an'a,  transition  to,  note    .       12 

Basil,  St 108 

Chrysostom.,  St 107,  235 

Cicero.,  ambitious  in  his  youth    .       44 
,  compared  with  Demosthe- 
nes      123 

— — — ,  his  opinion  of  the  know- 
ledge necessary  to  an  orator  36 
,  his  opinion  of  the  virtue  ne- 
cessary to  an  orator  .     .       29 
Classics.,  ancient,  importance  of  to 

a  preacher 96 

Criticisms.,  learned,    improper   for 

sermons,  note  ....       99 

Cyprian,  St 103 

Decorum,  points  of,  to  be  observed 

in  preaching     ....     274 
Demosthenes,  compared  with  Cic- 
ero      123 

*'  with  Isocrates        16 


Page. 
,  an  example  of  simple  elo- 
quence     116 

,  his  opinion  of  action  in 

speaking 273 

Dependance,  of  ministers  on  Christ  385 
Diligence,  in  ministers,  incitements 

to 388-392 

"  need  of  .     .     .     285 

"  young  especially,  287, 

398 
Discipline,  of  the  church  .       334-344 

,  exhortation  to  use  .     .     343 

,  by  public  reproof  .     .     335 

Discord,  among  ministers,  cause  of  375 
"  evils  of  .     .     .     374 

"  how  to  prevent     377 

Divine  Assistance,  the  preacher's 

need  of 85 

-■ ,  encouragement  to  seek     87 

,  does   not  supersede   the 

necessity  of  eloquence       88 
Divisions  in  Sermons  68—71,  239,  269 
"        rules    respecting,     15, 
145—154 
Doubtful   characters,    how    to  be 

treated 310 

Eccentricity,  note 103 

Eloquence,  what      .      44,  46,  83,  120 

,  ends  of    ...     .       15,  19 

,  rules  of    .     .     .       105,115 

,  true,  its  effects      .     .       40 

,  joined  with  philosophy     43 

,  cause  of  bad  taste  in  .     108 

,  examples  of  simple  1 15 — 1 19 

,  its     ornaments    not     to 

please 49 

,  unaffected   emotion    ne- 
cessary to     58,  note  62,  295 

,  of  the  Scriptures     .      76,89 

,  of  Paul 84 

,  Socrates'      and    Plato's 

opinion  of     .     .     .    3l — 35 

Emphasis 258 

Enthusiasm,  note Ill 

Eyes,  influence  of,    in    expressing 

emotion 58~273 

,  motions  of,  how  to  be  reg- 
ulated in  the  pulpit  .     .     268 


4ia 


INDEX. 


Page 
Excommunuations^from  the  Church, 
338 

,  objections   to,  obviated, 

346—343 
Exordiums,  reasons  for      .     ,     .     214 

,  rules  for 216 

,  objections  to     ...     211 

Fathers^  knowledge  of,  desirable  to 

the  preacher  ...  97 
,  their  allegorical  inter- 
pretation of  Scripture  110 
Fidelity,  pastoral,  motives  to  345—350 
GiJIs,  of  laymen,  to  be  employed  314 
Gorgias  and  Callicles,  declaimers  32 
Greeks  and  Romans,  progress  of  ef- 
feminacy among    .     .       22 

, their  application  of  music 

and  poetry    ....       21 
Gregory  J^asiansen,  St.     .     .     .      107 
Homer,  design  of  his  Iliad  and  Odys- 
sey        27 

,  character  of  his  Iliad  .       49 

Instruclion,  personal,  benefits  of     325 
,  compared       with     preaching 

325-330 
,  directions  for    .     .      317-323 
,  example  of  Paul  for  .     .     359 
,  experience  of  Mr.  Baxter 

in,  note 358 

,  obligations  of  ministers   to 

practice        .      .     .       330-334 
,  objections  to    .     .       350-360 
,  reluctance  to  in  ministers  324 
Integrity,  strict,  important  to  an  or- 
ator      28 

Interrogation,  figure  of      .     .     .       90 
hocrales,  compared  with  Demosthe- 
nes       16 

,  his  panegyric  on  Helen     73 

,  his     perversion   of    elo- 
quence, note     ...        16 
Jerome,  St.  eloquence  of  .     .     .      106 

,  change  in  his  opinion  of  the 

eloquence  of  the  Scriptures  82 
Knowledge,    importance    of    to    a 

preacher 36 

,  of  men     .     .      36,  264,  287 

,  religious  and  other  com- 
pared   352 

Lore,  of  ministers  for  their  people  369 
Lnnsnage,  of  the  sacred  writers  81 
Life,  length  of,  how  estimated  .  355 
Longiniis, trt^tisp  of,  on  the  sublime  17 

,  his  description  of  Isocra- 

tes 123 

Memory,  necessary  to  a  preacher  265 
Mfn,  knowledge  of       ...    36,  264 
Ministers,  deficiency  in,  consequen- 
ce? of 285 


Page 
Ministers,  an  advantage  of,  note      30 

,  ends    proper  for   them    to 

seek 287 

,  example  of,   should  agree 

with  their  preaching  288,  290 

,  how  qualified  ....     348 

,  life  and  vigour  of  religion 

in 291 

,  must  depend  upon  Christ  385 

,  greatness  of  their  office      345^ 

393 

,  honour  of  do 346 

,  privileges  of  do.    .     .     .     347 

,  meetings  of,  useful     .     .     379 

"             directions  for  .     383 
"              objections  to     .     382 
,  regard  of,  for  weak  chris- 
tians   306 

"              for  declining  chris- 
tians   30  7 

"  for  any  under  great 

temptation 308 

,  reproof  a  duty  of  .     .     .     304 

,  sins  of,  aggravated      289,  394 

,  shoulfl  attend  to  every  one 

in  iheir  flock    ....     298 

"  "  the  doubt- 

ing and  ignorant  .     .     .     299 
"  "  families    300 

«  "  the  sick  302 

—304 

— ,  should  be  charitable       .     370 

"              peaceable    .     .     373 
,  should  comfort  the  disconso- 
late     309 

,  should  labour  hard   .     .     356 

"  to  encourage  faith- 

ful christians    ....     304 
"  to  expose  unsound 

professors 305 

"             to  awaken  the  un- 
converted     305 

■  ,  temptations  of      .     .     .     289 

,  unfaithful  do  hurt     .     .     393 

,  unconverted,  present  case 

of 281 

,  not  likely  to  be  useful   .     282 

counsel  to 283 

Modulation 257 

Monotony,  badness  of .     .     .      55,  56 

,  how  produced  ....     266 

.  caution  in  avoiding  .     .     270 
JVeccssary  things,  to  be  dwelt  upon 

by  ministers      ....     361 
Objections  to  he  met    ....     199 
Offenders,  restoration  of   ,     .     .     337 
Ojiinialed  persons,  how  to  be  treat- 
ed        311-317 

Orator,  how  qualified    .      .      ■     .      1 92 


INDEX. 


4ia 


Pase 

Orator,  importance  of  virtue  to  .       29 

,  true,  described     .     .    43,  121 

Oratory,    impressive,    importance    of, 

274,  297 
Ordinances^  administration  of     .     298 
Origen^  his    allegorical  interpreta- 
tion of  Scripture   .     .     .      110 
,  the  father  of  pulpit  oratory  235 

Ornaments^  false 34 

"             like  quavers  in  mu- 
sic        72 

"  unbecoming    in  a 

preacher.     .     .     .     114 — 120 

Painting,  moral        46 

Patitnce,  necessary  in  ministers  ,     372 

Panegyrics,  legitimate  design  of  26—28 

,  rules  respecting    .     .     .     112 

Paul^  eloquence  of 82 

,  his     example     in     private 

teaching 359 

,  his  eloquence  like  Demos- 
thenes'     85 

Pathetic,    rhetorical      manner     of 

changed 50 

Peace,  to  be  observed  by  ministers  373 
Piety,  in    a    preacher,  importance    of 

124,  275,  291 
Plainness,  in  teaching  ....     362 
Plato,  his  way  to  form  an  orator       36 
,  his  opinion  of  the  Rhetori- 
cians        31 

,  ,  Cicero's  opinion  of  his  elo- 
quence, note     ....        18 
,  his  rule  for  a  poet     .     .       50 

Prayer,  public 297 

Pride,  in  ministers   .     .     .     363—367 
Preacher,  effect  of  superficial  know- 
ledge on 40 

,  fanciful,  description  of  ,        12 
,  importance  of  example  in     30 
"  of  sensibility  in     264 

,  necessity    of   talents    and 

learning  in 79 

,  should     be     wise,    sober, 

chaste 140 

"              simple  and  grave  141 
"           a  settled  pastor  95,  292 
Preaching,  advantages  of  exposito- 
ry        Ill 

,  aflfectionate  manner  of  94,  367 
,  angry  and  scoliling,  note  94 
,  earnest  manner  of  295,  367 
,  efficacy  of,  depends  on  God, 06 
,  end  of  .  138,  142,  234,  294 
,  extempore  .  .  ...  235 
,  extempore   and  raemoriter 

compared     .     .      60—65,  261 
,  memoriter  and   by  reading 
compared     .     .       65—07,  265 


Page 
Preaching,  from  notes  ....  26 1 
,  memoriter  inexpedient  .  98 
,  importance  of  systematic  101 
,  origin  and  progress  of  234—236 
,  pernicious  effects  of  indis- 
criminate .  .  .  .  92,  74 
,  points  of    decorum  to   be 

observed  in  ....  274 
,  unskilful,  fatal  effects  of  79 
,  skilful,  two   requisites  for, 

note         137 

,  simple  style    best  for        119 
,  should  be  suited  to  the  ca- 
pacities and  wants  of  hear- 
ers         80,  363 

,  to  unsound  professors  and 

unconverted  sinners        .     305 

,  without  a  text,  note       .     236 

Pulpit,  form  of  the        ....     273 

Qualifications  for  the  ministry  284,  396 

,  importance  of .     .     .     .     395 

Reading,  what 267 

,  good,  how  attained  .  .  268 
,  of  sermons,  note  ...  64 
Recreations,  need  and  limit  of  .  353 
Representation,  figure  of,  note  .  46 
Reproofs  public,  form  of  .  .  .  336 
Schismatics,  to  be  loved,  and  out- 
done in  good  ....  315 
Scriptures,  allegorical  interpretation 

of 110 

,  eloquence  of   .     .     .      89-91 
,  importance  of  a  thorough 
acquaintance    with,    to    a 

preacher 93 

,  should  be  explained        80,  92 
,  manner  of  expounding   .       99 
,  quaint  and  whimsical  inter- 
pretation of      .     .       125-134 
,  fantastical  application  .     237 
,  Latin  version  of    .     ,     .       81 
Sensibility,  in  a  preacher  .     .     .     264 
Sermons,  exordium  of      211—221,  240 
,  conclusion  of  .     .       222—243 
,  choice  of  subjects  for      ,     236 

,  length  of 235 

,  reasoning  in,  note  155,  242,296 
,  propositions  of  172—176,  242 
,  unity  and  order  of  122,  238-9, 

242 
,  topics  of  invention  for  179—206 
,  should   contain    historical 

facts 71 

,  general  rules  for  .       139—144 
,  writing  of,  should  be  leg- 
ible       65 

,  study  and  effort  in  writing  297 

,  French, Gregory's  opinion  of  237 

Sick,  directions  for  visiting     .     .     303 


414 


INDEX. 


Page 
Socrates,  arts  of,  two  for  the  mind 

and  two  for  the  body     .       33 
,  his  opinion  of  ancient  orato- 
ry   34 

,  and   Plato,  judgement  of, 
concerning  poets  and  musi- 
cians        23 

Speaking,  fine,  variety  of,  note  .  25 
,  with  ease,   how  acquired, 

note 60 

Study,  no  excuse  for  neglect  of  pas- 
toral duty 352 

Style,  perspicuity  of  .  .  245-248 
,  purity  of  .  .  .  249-252 
,  ornament  of  .  .  .  49,  253 
,  simplicity  of  .  83,  115-119 
,  of  the  Scriptures  -  76,  88-9 1 
,  bombastic  and  feeble     .     256 

,  florid 77,  121 

,  frigid  and  boyish,  note  .       39 
,  effect  of,  upon  modulation   56 
,  not  often  level  to  the  illite- 
rate, note 78 

Success,  should  be  expected  .    .     384 

Terlullian 103 

Texts,  choice  of  13,  109,  137,  238 

,  connexion 145 

,  quaint  and  fanciful  exposi- 
tion of 13 


Page 
Texts,  long  and  short        .     .     .    238 
,  manner  of  treating,   to  be 
discussed  by  way  of  expli- 
cation       ....      155-172 
"            "            of  obser- 
vation     ....      176-179 
"             "             of  contin- 
ued application      .     .     .     207 
"             "             in  proposi- 
tions         208 

,  various  kinds  of    .     .     .     155 
Themistocles,  and  Pericles,  not  true 

orators 32 

Tragedies,  should   conduce   to  in- 
struction   24 

Versification^  not  always  poetical  47 
Virgil,  design  of  his  Aeneid  .  .  28 
,  character  of  do.  ...  49 
Visits,  of  mere  civility  .  .  .  355 
Voice,  appropriate  tones  of,  learned 

from  nature      ....       57 
,  how  strengthened      .      .     266 
,  inflections  of,  necessary  56,258 
,  pitch  of,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  a  discourse    ,     .     269 
Wit,  not  suited  to  the  pulpit       4B,  49 
Work,   of  ministers  should  all  be 

done  spiritually     .     .     .     368 


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